Pokemon- Extended Adventures
by Trainer Ed
Summary: [HIATUS!] The year is 20XX. In the Kanto region, a land forgotten by many a prestigious trainer, a young powerhouse trains his 3 pokemon. Little does he know, he is about to embark on a new, epic journey. Prepare your balls. Takes place in a world where pokemon's Anime and Manga, as well as some games, fit together.
1. Chapter 1: Origins

My first chapter of my first Fanfic! W00T! Well...

I can see this turning into something big one day... One day... When we get to chapter 100, maybe I'll look back at my past antics and laugh. Or maybe I'll smile, thinking how happily I wrote 'back then'...

Well, Enjoy the fic, chaps!

 _Insert the cartridge here, annnddd..._

 **Pokemon Extended Adventures**

 **Chapter 1: Origins**

* * *

 _ZZZ…zzz…_

 _Uh…Sir?_

 _Oh! Sorry. I must've fallen asleep. What is the time?_

 _XX:XX.P.M._

 _Oh my. I'm late!_

 _No duh. That's why I came here._

 _I see… Then let's begin._

 _Welcome to the world of Pokemon!_

 _I am Oak. I am commonly referred to as-_

 _I know. I've seen this tale before. I know how it is. Boy sets out on journey and becomes a legend._

 _Well then. Let us begin with the questions, shall we?_

 _Copy that._

 _What is your name?_

 _Ed._

 _Where do you come from?_

 _Orre, moved to Kanto._

 _Ed. A journey awaits. Normally, I'd grant you a Pokemon, but-_

 _This time… Things will be different. So let's begin. Destiny awaits._

 _The great journey…begins here._

 **[Creating save file… Please wait…]**

 **[Saved!]**

* * *

 _Kanto, sunrise._

 _"Arise, young hero...Unite the forces scattered throughout this world...and defeat the-"_

"OOF!"

I slowly got up, rubbing my back," Owch... I'm going to need a bigger bed..." Squirtle jumped happily onto my lap the Water-Type, purring happily. I smiled a bit," Well, looks like someone's up early. Aren't you a morning guy?"

I got up, stretching. It was going to be another long, boring, uneventful day for this trainer. Just walking around, fighting Team Rocket, using my tools to modify my weapons and-

Doh! Here I am, telling my story without introducing myself! See how stupid I am?

Name's **Ed**. Edward Catcher. You probably never heard of me, right? Well, I'm not much of a famous trainer like Red, Ash, Gold, Trainer Xavier 'X' or Black. In fact, I'm not even a Dexholder at all! So why talk about me?

Well, I've earned myself a bit of a reputation in this Region of the World. Many know me simply as Trainer 'Iron' Ed.

'Iron' was a reference to the dusty Orran mines of my home region. Many shun the region, as there aren't too many heroes from that region. They say that Orre is a dead region, a region of war. However, where other regions triumphed in fashion, construction, healthcare and science… Orre was the birthplace of weaponry and true justice. Orre's battlefields became its greatest asset. Similarly, every downfall made me stronger. Albeit with half my money gone, but still I evolved alongside my Pokemon. At the start of my journey, did I know I would end up building DIY power armour to fight gym battles with my bare fists? Would I have figured that electrified armour could prevent Team R grunts from grabbing me and pulling me into their lairs? (Oh, related: when building electrified armour, two AA batteries allow for a satisfying 5 second burst.) Tangent aside, no. I would've never have gotten where I am today if I came from Kalos, Kanto, Unova or any other region. The Great War never ended for me. I wasn't a soldier, I was never a commando, but as they say; In Orre, every man is entitled to the sweat of their own work. _Every Orran is born at arms_ , as we like to say.

Hey, quick question: Does anybody actually care about the fact I beat a few gyms and took down terrorists? Uh, no. And that is where my problem begins.

Oh, money is not the problem. I have a few million in the bank, and I currently own my own house by Pallet Town. Loneliness isn't it either. I have pokemon and several humans to keep me company...

 _'In fact...'_ I thought, glancing in a mirror, _' The only problem I have... Is_ _ **YOU!**_ ' I, of course, was pointing to myself.

You see, even after leaving the League years ago, I feel... Empty. I've tried everything, but I still hunger for excitement, adventure and SWAGGINESS. Except maybe not that last bit. Too cliché... ANYWAY!

I clunked downstairs, and woke up my 2 other pokemon: Charizard and Ivysaur, before opening up my closet. Most people keep clothes in a closet like this. I'm not most people.

My armour fell out, along with my Old Trainer clothing. I lifted my red baseball cap, and looked at it. It seemed old, rusty, next to the highly modified armour. After beating the league, I had way too much free time on my hands, so I returned to Orre, my home region. During my trip, I managed to get a diploma in mechanical engineering, and somehow acquired a set of the military's armour. Rebuilding it was a hobby of mine. I wanted it to be strong enough, if need be, for me to use in war.

Well, not that there will actually be one, but a man can dream, right?

Suddenly, just as I had finished putting on my jeans, I heard several loud yells outside. It was **THEM...**

"Prepare for trouble!" "And make it-" I kicked my door open, pulling out a shotgun," **YOU DANG KIDS GET OFFA MA LAWN!** " The two Team Rocket grunts stared at me," P...Please, sir. W..we..a...are just...h..having a p..picnic!" I pumped the shotgun," **GET OFF MA LAWN, DAMMIT!** " "O...ok...We'll...j...just..." Then I saw the brown bag they were trying to get away with. Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard were ready. My body was ready. Ragequit time.

" **I'LL TEACH YOU! USE TRIPLE FINISH!** "

My 3 pokemon unleashed their strongest attacks, launching a concentrated beam. It's not the strongest attack in the world, admittedly, but it's the strongest one at my disposal now.

"Looks like we're blasting off agai-" Oh yeah, then there was that. You had to shoot them in mid air to get them to shut up. Honestly, THIS was the terrorist team Kanto feared? I shook my head in disbelief.

I swung my shotgun back over my shoulder," We showed them. C'mon, guys. Let's eat- Well, what do we have here?" I opened the sack, and a straw hat fell out. I sighed again," Going hat store again. Let's-" Suddenly, the sack began shaking. I dropped it on the ground, and ran a good metre back. Just to be safe, I ran up a tree.

' _Crud. Looks like I'm going to need a new plan._ ', I thought, taking my pistol out. I slowly slid down the tree, and crept over to the bag. Finally, I reached into the bag," You ok in there?"

"ZZZ...zzzzz...ZZ..pika pika...zzz..."

I put both my hands in, and lifted out the most adorable thing ever.

An 9 year old girl was in my hands, snoring quietly. Next to her was a sleeping Pikachu with a bow on its head. Other than that, I could see nothing else in the bag. I shrugged, and brought her inside...

* * *

I began by holstering my gun. I mean, waking up to a fully armed commando is not a very nice way to wake up. Still... I slipped my combat knife into my pocket.

Where did I get all these weapons? I thought back. It was 1 month ago, when I first got my POCOM and combat knife, and I inherited the shotgun from my parents, who were some of Orre's finest soldiers. I missed them... They were always so distant, but...

I wiped away my tears and kept working. Her heart was beating faster now, almost at a regular pace, and her breathing quickened.' _S...She's waking!'_ , I thought,' _How do I explain everything so fast to her?! She'll think I kidnapped her for-'_

"You know, I'm a lot older than I look. Try age 14, for starters." I yelped, and pulled out my shotgun again," PLEASEDONTKILLMEIHAVEAFEWMILLIONPKDAND3POKEMONIDONTWANNADIEEEEEEEEEE!"

She giggled innocently, and got up," Also, no need to explain what's going on. I worked it out." I slowly calmed down," R...Right..." She had a blond ponytail, as well as a black cloak on. Underneath that was a yellow shirt,' _Must be one of those viridian forest girls. Better ask her where her home is._ ' She turned her head left slightly," Um... You do know who I am, right?" " No?"

"My name is Yellow. Trainer **Yellow** from the Viridian."

Me and all my pokemon gasped. I was the first to start talking again," Yellow? You cannot be... Didn't you retire?" "I could ask the same 'bout you. There I was, watching everything through your eyes, and you were clearly screaming for adventure, weren't you? Besides, the way you kicked down the door was like a young boy longing for a new journey!" "Well..."

I gave an awkward chuckle," It's not every day a famous trainer pops in here for tea, Yellow." She smiled back," Actually, I was on my way to see a certain trainer." "Would that trainer, by any chance, be….ME?! ", I asked," I am maybe- I mean, I AM, the most badass and amazing and most good looking guy 'round these parts." Sarcastic sarcasm is sarcastic.

" Yes I do."

"ORLY?! NO WAI! I IZ GOING TO FAINT NOW-"

"Ha ha, no."

I sighed," Fine... Well, what d'ya need? Guns? You look like a girl who needs a gun." "...But I already have Pokemon..." I leaned over, into her face," You need a gun. I looked at all your battles in the past in the history books, and all of them could've been solved by a good ol' bit of fancy shooting." "No, thanks, Ed. I prefer doing things my own way.", she nervously began, backing away," anything...Less bloody?"

I swore to myself," Dammit! I'm a gunner, not some guy who would own a store…" She put her hands on her hips," The least you could do is offer me a ride. I need to get from here to Victory Road. From there, I can make my way to the location." I nodded," I guess… Hey, can I come with you? It's dangerous to go alone…" She chuckled," Of course you can come! We're going to need a lot of help!" I raised an eyebrow," We?"

She blushed," Well, I'll tell you later."

I gunned the engines on the vehicle: a khaki 'Emboar' jeep. This vehicle is nowadays outclassed by other vehicles, but the mechanics back at Orre fix this sort of thing up. I was born in Orre, you see. I have the blood of the desert flowing through my veins. I only moved to Kanto to follow my dreams of becoming the world's best trainer… or not! I actually moved here as it was more peaceful than Orre, where blood stains the sands of the desert. The warring teams are bad for my health…

Yellow kicked the tyres," A Warthog?" The 'Warthog' was the nickname for this kind of car, thanks to its military background. I smiled," She's beautiful, right?" "…Is this piece of junk really going to make it to Victory Road?" "She's got it where it counts, ok?", I muttered, opening the back to load in several weapons and equipment," Get in the van…Please." She smiled ," Ok. Just mind that I'm not as weak as I look…" She opened the left door, and paused,"… Why is the driver's seat on the left?" "This vehicle uses several aspects from Unovan tech. Unlike Kanto, the Unovans prefer driving on the other side of the road.", I explained, taking the driver's seat. The windshield flickered on, showing the HUD," Ok, all systems are ready. Nitrous oxide levels are steady. We're ready for this trip…"

She climbed into the left seat, holding her bag," Shall we begin?"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, watching our preparations, a dark shadow hiding in a nearby tree peered down. It adjusted a receiver: a codec transmission device ," This is Snivy. Do you read me?" The voice on the other end of the codec replied," Reading you loud and clear, Snivy." "Target sighted. Shall I engage?" "No, Snivy. If this mission is to succeed, we need to give them some more time…", the person on the other end of the comm replied," For now, deploy and follow them while unnoticed. We must save him. These two are the ones who will lead us to…Him…"_

 _"_ _Copy that. Snivy out."_

* * *

I hit the gas, and off we went.

Yellow lowered a pair of sunglasses as we sped down Route 1," Well, this is nice. I haven't been on a road trip like this since… a few months ago." I adjusted the rear view mirror, looking behind us," Mind if I put on the radio?" "No, not really…" I flicked the switch for the radio, and it started playing.

* * *

'I wanna be,'

'the very best,'

'like no one ever-'

* * *

I switched the station over to the news. I hate that song.

* * *

[News]

 _Terror war Flares up in Kalos!_

* * *

" Seriously? Who writes this stuff?"

* * *

 _In Kalos, news has come in that the terrorist team 'Flare' has taken over most of Luminose city. The war has been going on for over a year now…_

* * *

Yellow closed her eyes," So many deaths…" I shrugged," Fact of life, Yellow. People live. People fight… and they die." "Why do they fight?", she asked. "Power…Money, Greed…To avenge their sadness… Is that not why we all fight, Yellow?" She eyed me suspiciously," Ed, are you…?" "Oh, I would never join them. I fight to defend the regions from disaster. I promise to. If you meet me, andI go back on that promise, kill me. I shall fight them in Kanto, I shall fight them in Hoenn. In blackest day, in brightest night, I let no evil escape my sight." "… Did you get that from a comic book?"

Suddenly, there was a loud gunshot behind us. I glanced behind us, "WHAT THE-" Behind us were two vehicles, each with guns mounted on their backs, in hot pursuit. I adjusted my helmet, "We've got company!" "Ed! What should we do?"

I raised my gun, "Take the wheel. I'll take them."

* * *

[BATTLE]

* * *

I leaned out the window, holding onto the frame. The wind rushed past my face.

The turret aimed at me, locking on. I gave a smile, "Fine. Let's go."

A soldier wearing a helmet with a red R climbed out, holding a pistol. I loaded my own gun, and fired off several rounds. One struck his gun, knocking it out of his hand. I raised Squirtle," Water Gun."

The shot hit the driver, knocking him off the road. One left. The approaching gun truck sped up, the laser sights locking onto my forehead.

"Swerve, Yellow!" I yelled, grabbing onto the car's frame, firing at the opposing car's tyres. Yellow hit the gas, but she couldn't shake them.

A spray of bullets hit me. While my armour deflected a few, one managed to penetrate my shoulder pad. I yelled, grabbing my bleeding shoulder, _"Son of a-_ "

"I can't hold it, Ed! We're going off-road!" Yellow screamed. I grabbed the wheel," As much as I would like to make an innuendo about that, our lives are on the line here. I'll drive."

I activated the nitrous, taking us up to my top speed. I lowered my rear camera, and spotted our pursuers falling behind. I turned to Squirtle," Ok, Squirt. Get the shotgun. I'll lower the rear window. Hold them off!" I opened the rear window, and several gunshots sounded from the rear.

" _Where are you?"_

 _"_ _Don't worry, Yellow. I got this. In 3….2…1GOGOGO!"_

Suddenly, a cloaked figure leaped from the bushes, holding a Pikachu," PIKA THUNDER!" The thunder hit the car behind us, making it swerve off the dirt road.

"SWEET ARCEUS!" I yelled, slamming the brakes," Brake! Brake!"

We skidded to a stop, all kinds of warning lights flashing. Yellow yelped, clinging onto her seat. Squirtle strapped himself in, gasping.

The mysterious figure calmly raised a hand in front of our vehicle, before motioning for me to get out. I was pissed.

[BATTLE COMPLETE]

* * *

"Hey, what's the big idea?! Jumping on the road when someone is driving… Using Thunder on a vehicle behind us… Then you act so cool, just telling me to stop. Well, guess what? I'm just going to go back into my car, drive off, and _not give a crap_!" I turned to walk away when the cloaked person stopped me, whispering in a creepy, yet familiar voice ," _Fight me."_ "Excuse me?" "Fight me. I want the girl."

I lifted my gun, as Squirtle emerged from the car, wielding my .22 ," Well, guess what? You ain't getting her."

* * *

[BATTLE]

* * *

The mysterious stranger sent out Pikachu, using thunder on us. I flinched, as my armour sparked," DAMMIT! Alright, enough warning shots! Take this!"

I grabbed a ball from my belt, pulled the pin out with my teeth, and threw it at my attacker.

"C'mon. I can take any pokemon that comes out of that ball." The stranger smiled, folding his arms," Pika, cover the ball." The electric mouse approached the ball, ready for what would come out of it…

"Who told you I was using a pokemon here?"

The Grenade Ball exploded, sending shrapnel at Pika. I wasted no time in running up to the stranger, and firing several stun shots from my arm at him. I had modified an Orric weapon known as the 'Snag Arm' to be able to fire concentrated blasts of energy at opponents. It was as simple as plugging the doo-hickey into the thingy, whatever that meant these days.

Suddenly, Pika threw himself at me, furiously gnawing at my face. I yelped, knocking him off. While I was still recovering, his trainer launched himself at my legs, knocking me to the ground.

I fumbled for a button in my arm, finally hitting it. My armour became electrified, knocking them both off. My opponent clutched his arm," Impressive. I haven't seen such technology since the days I fought Team Rocket." I raised an eyebrow," Wait, you aren't part of them?"

[BATTLE COMPLETE?]

* * *

We stared each other down, before the mysterious opponent spoke," There appears to be a misunderstanding." I shrugged," Hey, misunderstandings are common with me. I'm a 'Fire all the grenades, ask questions later sort of guy.'" "Join me. I sense an uprising among the regions."

He gestured to the now-setting sun," Look at the Sun and Moon. What do you see?" "A new game!" I chuckled. "No… What I see is war." The stranger spoke," In Kanto…Hoenn…. Kalos…. Unova… Sinnoh… Johto…" "Not my business. I'm only doing what the girl told me to do. I'm a busy man…boy…guy." "Do you not feel it? _**The world is secretly at war…"**_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _In Unova, a girl is weeping for her loss friend, as Plasma rises…"_**

 _Unova, Nuevema town._

 _The manager kneeled over the grave, placing a bough of flowers upon it," Four years… How have you been?"_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _In Kalos, the shining beacon of the region wanes, as darkness falls over the city of light…"_**

 _Kalos, Prism tower._

 _"_ _HOLD THE LINE!" the boy in blue cried, pistol raised," DON'T LET THEM REACH THE LABS!" The rebels saluted," SIR YES SIR!" Behind them, a girl in red silently prepared a radio," Calling for backup now…X"_

* * *

 ** _"…_** ** _In Sinnoh, millions prepare for a day celebration. But it may become their graveyard."_**

 _Sinnoh, Hearthome City._

 _"_ _Ma'am, the police force is at 100% full capacity. Nothing will disturb the race." The millionaire nodded, "Excellent. We shall proceed with the race." "Very well." "…You may proceed with the pleasantries."_

* * *

 ** _"…_** ** _This is our time of need, Ed."_**

 _Johto, Mt Silver (Kanto/Johto Border)._

 _The researcher stopped taking ice samples for a second, watching as a fleet of tanks rolled into her home region,"…Need to alert Silver…"_

* * *

 ** _"…_** ** _Heroes like you are our only hope..."_**

 _Hoenn, Sky Pillar._

 _A cloaked figure stood atop the pillar, her sword raised to the sky, as a volcano erupted," For Hoenn, Rayquasa and my friends!"_

* * *

 ** _"…_** ** _For today, we fight not for our homes… We fight for this world."_**

 _?, Mountain._

 _A man in a blue cloak stood atop a mountain, his wild brown hair blowing in the wind,' They're coming…' "Hey, what 'cha thinking about, Wes?" An orange haired girl asked, leaning over. "Nothing, nothing.", he replied, folding his arms, an iron gauntlet clicking as he moved his arm. "Ah, you thinking about trying to put the sausage in the hole again?" another boy holding a camera asked. "What?! No! Shut up and do yer job, Todd!"_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _So, still think it's not your business?"_**

"Uh, yeah." I replied," It's all nice and all, what you're fighting for, but as far as I'm concerned, you're just a random guy I met on the street who wants me to fight an army. I never asked for this…" "Fine.", He chuckled, grabbing his hood," How 'bout I tell you my name?"

He lowered his hood, and a famous face appeared, black hair covering part of his face. He wore a red cap, the brim facing backwards, and a red vest with a white collar and white shirt. On his belt was a little red box, a few balls, and a small bag.

"My name is Fire. Fire Red. But most people call me **Red**."

And then, as with all tales, there was only darkness…

* * *

 _Ed…_

 _Ed…_

 _Ed…_

 _Ed?_

 _Ed?_

 _EDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!_

I sat up, gasping,"27-2-1997, Miss!"

Wait, what?

I looked around. I wasn't in my bedroom anymore. I was in some sort of cabin. The walls were iron, and I was lying on a rather small bed, wearing my standard clothes, sans armour. This wasn't normal. "Well, this is oddly calming." I muttered to myself, "The bed's soft, the birds are tweeting, the fresh sea air and rocking of the ship are… WHAT THE?!"

I sat up, gasping. Last thing I remembered was that hooded guy taking his hood off after I totes kicked his ass. Then… Nothing. Nothing at all. My memory was like static on a television after a good TV show you can't afford to miss. I put on my armour, pondering my next move.

"Time for my mind to reboot and survey my location. Currently, I am…"

I looked out of the window, " In the middle of nowhere… All I know is I'm on an ocean, and my equipment is here with me… Well, can't exactly sit still while I'm being kidnapped."

I walked up to the door, my iron boots clanking on the floor. I raised my foot, preparing to kick the door open, " Three, two, ONE-"

Yellow opened the door, "Oh, so you're- SWEET MOTHER OF-"My boot collided with her face, knocking the psychic out. I gasped, "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I just knocked out Red's girl with a metal boot… Uh, maybe he won't notice. Yeah, that's it. "

I clunked into the hallway, and immediately ran straight into Red. He was staring at me, open-mouthed.

"Uh, she was like that when I got here."

"Did you just… No way… Then again, this must be way too sudden for you to take in all at once, so let me explain." Red began, holding out a hand," My name is Fire 'Red' Red. You're Ed, right?" I nodded, shaking his hand," The one, the only Ed 'Iron' Catcher. Also in my spare time I build weaponry, drive in rallies, that sort of thing. But I never thought I'd meet… you." Red smiled, " I get that a lot. Anyway, welcome aboard The Gyrados." "What? Is that a name for this ship? Why not the Lapras or The 'S.S. Red' or something?" Red shrugged," Whatever. Anyway, I brought you here for a reason. The League of Professors want me to compile a… InterNational Pokedex, if you will. Problem is, the regions are at war. I need to travel between regions safely, as I kinda like not dying, so I asked Yellow to accompany me."

I smirked, "Real smooth, Red. Ask your girlfriend on your journey." Red blushed," Hey! Would you rather I asked Blue or Green along?! I can at least agree on things with Yellow. Anyway, I wasn't finished. I asked her to ask a strong, bold Trainer along. One with a heart of gold. A man who could defend us, stand up for what was right. You see, I was never a researcher. I always had to come into the field. I am a soldier, in a way. So, on this journey, I decided to attempt to fight through each region, to at least aid the oppressed, to right the wrongs of injustice. So, I needed an ally by my side. And Yellow picked you, Ed."

"Back up the truck, Red! I'm no hero. I beat the league once, sure, but I'm a regular, ordinary guy! I only did what I did because I could!" I replied," Why me?" "Well, that's what I did as well. So c'mon, Ed. Let's go on this trip. Maybe you'll get to know me and the others better."

I froze," Others?"

* * *

 _It was at that moment, I remembered a news program. I was lazing around one day, when it came on…_

 _'_ _Trainer_ _ **Black**_ _absorbed into Light Stone:_ _ **White**_ _in desperate need of hero.'_

* * *

"Black… It's been two years since he was absorbed. I always wanted to help him and White. Red, chart a course for Unova. And no funny business, if you're a faker. My DNA scan visor never lies." Red smiled," You can count on me, Ed. And I'll trust you all of the way as well."

"…No way. As far as I'm concerned, I was kidnapped from my home and taken millions of miles away. Did I mention my car's gone? Because my car's-" "Right here. We have a garage, bottom deck. I was wondering how long it'd take for you to mention that." he replied, " Alright, we'll be making landfall in Unova tomorrow. Get yourself settled, Ed." I nodded.

* * *

 _Can I believe him?_

I unloaded my bag from the car, still confused by the day's events. Here I was, on a boat with the 'Hero of Kanto' himself. I never asked for this. Whisked away from normal life into this weird journey. How was I to know if he was bad or not?

"Look Ed, he's the real deal. He has ID's, the DNA matches up, but… Both can be faked…"

 ** _"_** ** _I understand your confusion."_**

"WOAH!" I yelped, as Yellow walked in, "Sorry, I haven't gotten used to mind chatter yet." "Most people don't. However… Not only can I talk, I can listen. I heard your doubts, Ed. So, tell me, why don't you trust Red?" she asked, sitting on a crate.

I paused, holding my pistol," Honestly, I'm not sure who to trust. This has all been so sudden. One second I was on dry land, driving someone somewhere, next I'm on the ocean." "I see…" "I think I could trust him, but… Eh, nothing's making sense in my head anymore." "Does it have to? Do we need a reason to travel? Do we need a reason to dream? Do we need a reason to be who we are? Red actually wanted to travel on this journey to beat enemies and defend the homeland like old times… and, I believe, I came on this journey to conquer a great fear both of us had."

"We are travellers, Ed. We always were. Who knows?"

Beneath her, a dark figure hiding in the crate shed a single tear.

 _"_ _Maybe you'll realise… You need this journey too."_

I smiled. Maybe I was no longer trusting the world anymore. Maybe I wasn't trusting myself anymore…

"Well…"

Maybe it's worth a shot.

* * *

 **[Saving Game...]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

And that's a wrap!

Thank you for reading the first chapter of my fic!

Yeah... It's not much, but soon, you'll watch this tale Evolve into something. I know it will with your support.

Thank you, all you Pokefans and trainers following my tale.

 **Ed out.**


	2. Chapter 2: Breaking Black

And I'm back! Hey, everyone! Did ya'll hear? PKMN SUN has been announced for the 18th of November this year. Coincidentally, it is **my birthday on that day!** Sweet. Now, in this chapter there will be more references to other video games and stuff. Try to spot all of them!

 _This chapter is dedicated to a certain Trainer who died bravely while in the field of combat. He was KIA for 4 years now._

 _RIP_ _ **Trainer Black: ?-2010**_

Seriously, killing off a guy like that was not cool, Nintendo.

 **Chapter 2: Breaking Black.**

* * *

 **[Loading save file…]**

 **[Save Loaded!]**

* * *

[Unknown Location, ?]

 _Ugh…_

 _My head hurts…_

 _Wait, what's going on?_

 _Where am I?_

 _…_ _All I can remember is fighting Ghetsis over the stone, then…_

 _…_ _absorbed…_

 _…_

 _…_ _Shit._

 _Well, no point sitting- uh, floating here moping. Step 1: I need to figure out my current status. Left hand… Good. Right hand… Okay, that's a start. Feet… Uh huh, I'm good there. Body, yes, yes, all my limbs are in place. Well, I'm not dead. Or crippled._

 _Now, step 2: How can I escape this here void?_

 _…_

 _…_ _Nah, I'm stumped._

 _The figure floating around in the void folded his hands, sighing, "Shit."_

 _"_ _This is just dandy…"_

* * *

[The Gyrados, North Iwata Sea]

 **Morning.**

They say dreams are born in Kalos. Well, considering the fact it's at war, I'm guessing that A. That ended badly, or B. Whoever is dreaming that dream has problems. But I'll save that chatter for another day.

What I'm saying here is, dreams are actually born in the morning. Every trainer's journey, their adventure began on the morning they decided to leave home. The morning is where dreams are born.

And, as we all know, giving birth to something is painful.

This is why I fell out of bed.

I sat up, groaning, "Woah, that was a weird, weird dream." Ivysaur looked at me, confused. "Yeah, I dreamt I met Red and Yellow, and they told me to come on a battleship with them, and help them travel between the regions."

I turned around, and came face-to-face with a smiling Yellow.

"…Oh my gosh, I wasn't dreaming?! I'm literally on a boat with…You two? The realisation… It's all sinking in now… Can I… Uh…"

"Yell out to Arceus how awesome this whole thing is?"

…I love mind readers.

* * *

 **"** **THIS IS THE MOST AWESOME THING TO HAVE EVER HAPPENED IN THE AWESOME HISTORY OF AWESOME AWESOME!"**

The loud cry echoed in the ocean around the ship, scaring away several small pokemon in a 10 mile radius.

* * *

Yellow smiled, "Now that you got that out of your system, head downstairs. I made breakfast for everyone. After that, you need to help me with the chores." I shrugged, "Reasonable enough. I can't imagine that this ship keeps itself this clean. Do you happen to have cleaning droids?" "N...No?" she replied, confused, "Can you build some?" I shrugged, "I'm not that good. Anyway, what brought you into my room? You can't possibly have come in here just to wish me a good morning, right?"

She dug into her cloak's pocket, and pulled out what looked like a headset of some sort, "Put this on. Red just got this new shipment from Kalos." I picked it up, and closely examined it. It was a monoset (Designed to be put around one ear, kinda like a scouter), and around the single cup had three segments: Two halves and a centre piece, like a pokeball. The top half was a dark scarlet color, while the bottom was a white color. Separating these three pieces was a light-blue transparent material.

I put it on, adjusting the headband that connected it to my head, "Okay. Now what?" Yellow shrugged, "You tell me. I don't understand this kind of tech. They said it came from the **_Ferrum Islands_** in Orre."

My heart skipped a beat, upon hearing the name.

Ferrum...

* * *

 ** _Ferrum Islands_**

 _The capital of the Orre Region, Ferrum is a vast technological hub, a wild contrast to the warring Orran plains. Many enemy teams in Orre have a peace treaty with Ferrum, promising not to attack the capital in return of their team not getting obliterated by the best defence force in the world. Many have tried, and all have failed, to attack Ferrum._

 _Ferrum is home to Synergy power, allowing the users to unleash powerful attacks (Synergy Bursts) when the energy builds up. In the past, unleashing Synergy was hard and practically impossible to time. It was thought it was triggered by rage or strength. In the modern era, this has since been proven to be linked to Adrenalin, allowing Orran scientists to design a visor, now known as the Augmented Battle Reality Visor, shortened to 'Battle AR'._

 _The visor is highly user friendly and easy to modify, and it is the official tool used in the Pokken League, the most high paced, violent and intense Pokemon League in the world._

* * *

I tapped the side of the visor twice, and a small visor folded out displaying information about my surroundings, "I love these things." "Alright then. Now, what I'm going to tell you to do is extremely weird, and will change your life forever." Yellow said, "I want you to _talk to your pokemon._ "

I coughed, "Sorry, must be the audio playing up. Thought you said 'Talk to my pokemon.'"

"Exactly."

"Oh, ok, I'll just go and say to them, 'Oh, hi! I can- WAIT A FLYING MAGIKARP SECOND! Are you telling me they perfected the translator OS? Last time I tried loading that to my helmet, it-" _" That was a funny time. I love this tale!"_

I looked around the room. There was nobody else in the room, and that voice wasn't Yellow's. I blinked, "...Um... What?"

Squirtle sat up in the bed, yawning. Then, he did that most fateful act that changed my life forever... and added an incredibly gimmicky plot device to this story.

 _"_ _I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"_ the tiny turtle _legibly_ declared!

" **OH MY- THE- MY- I- POTATO- CRA- WHAT?!** " I yelped, my mind transforming into several supernova exploding in rapid succession. _My main just_ _ **TALKED**_ _to me! IN PLAIN ENGLISH!_ _ **THAT CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING...**_

 **"** **OH NOES! NOW WE NEED TO GRANT POKEMON EQUAL RIGHTS! RUN BEFORE THEY GO BASTILLE ON US!"**

" ...Didn't Arceus already settle that argument? Besides, I'm not one to get mixed up in all this 'Politics' stuff." Squirtle yawned, " Also, what's this 'Bastille' thing you're talking about?" "Oh, it's something that happened in Kalos a few centuries back, if my history teacher was right. Stuff happened, and some people ended up chopping the rich peoples' heads off. It was a rather messy time." Yellow explained, "Anyway, how's the translator?" "...This is extremely weird. My life's been changed forever." I muttered, scratching my head, "Now there is 4 people in one room... I'm not 100% comfortable with this."

"Aww, you'll get used to it. Imagine what the big businesses like White .C.O. would do if they had this! Speaking of White... Do you ever wonder what she's doing now?"

* * *

 _[White's Office: White C.O.]_

The small memorial sat in the corner of the room, a small pot of burning joss sticks next to it. Upon the small altar sat a photo in a golden frame. It was a photo the owner sometimes picked up, turning it over and over in her hands sadly, trying to remember the days spent with the boy in the picture. Next to the picture sat a red and black baseball cap. The last thing in the material world _Trainer Black_ ever owned...

A girl in black clothing walked in, holding a candle. She walked over to the altar, and placed the candle upon it. Silently, she stroked the black cap, a single tear running down her cheek.

 _"_ _...Happy Birthday...Old friend...I pray that you're okay...Wherever you are now..."_

 **White** looked up, her eyes filled with tears. Four years. Four years since her best friend and partner was removed from reality itself. She could still remember his final words...

 _"_ _Did I pay it off...Mrs President?"_

 _"_ _...Yes."_

She kneeled down in front of the monument, "Black...You don't need to call me 'Boss' anymore... I'm your... your..."

Suddenly, another person, this one wearing a police uniform, entered the room, "White." White spun around, and looked at the person, " **Rakutsu** : Unit **'BLACK TWO'**. Any news from the mercenary?" "She reports that she has successfully infiltrated the 'Gyrados', and is on her way to intercept the target. White, are you sure-"

White punched the iron wall, "This has gone on long enough. This war has gone for long enough…" "New transmission from Red! We did it!" Rakutsu suddenly said, picking up his phone, "It reads…'Look out your window.' What the hell?"

White blinked, "Uh… why…"

Suddenly, the window smashed open, and Red flew in on my Charizard, "Alright, old friend, great job out there." "..Red?!" White gasped, covering her mouth, "… **THAT WINDOW WAS DIAMOND PLATED! IT COSTS ME A MILLION DOLLARS!** " "Correction: It **WAS** a million dollar window. But don't worry, my friend, that is a small price to pay compared to what I'm putting on the table here." he smiled, " _I can bring him back._ " "…You can?" Black 2 asked, lowering his shotgun, "How?"

"I'll need those 'Light Balls' there." Red said, grabbing two balls, and tossing one to White, "Keep this in your pocket. I'll see you in _Old Nimbasa Land_."

With those final words, Red spun on his heels, climbed back onto Charizard, and soared off.

 _"…_ _Thank you."_

She turned to her bodyguard, "Rakutsu 'Black 2'… You were assigned to protecting me… While this world has gone insane… But I'll go it alone." The cop shook his head, "Never. I am your guard. I'm coming too. Besides, I want to meet the person I was named after." "…You can't. It's too danger-" "Dangerous? Hell, that's what I'm used to every day. I just need my trusty shotgun and pistol…and maybe Unit L by my side." "Lucario? Are you sure? He's a loose cannon. He was given janitorial duty for a reason."

"I believe I second chances. Sue me, why don't you?"

White smiled, "Today must be a Monday!"

* * *

[The Gyrados: Cargo hold]

 _The dark figure switched off its codec, using the cardboard box to sneak around the ship. It ducked behind a crate, and used its crowbar to crack it open. It reached inside and pulled out a Battle AR, "Alright. Now I need to put this on…and…"_

 _There was some static, as it tuned the headset, before tapping the side twice, "Here I go… Now to tap into the comm chatter…"_

 **"** **Hey, who's there?"**

The merc cursed to himself, as I walked in, pistol raised, "Did he see me?" "I can hear you, y'know…" I muttered, locking on my targeting scope, "Who sent you here? My name is Ed."

The dark figure rolled behind me, firing two pistols rapidly at my back, "Love to talk, but I got a mission to complete." The bullets bounced off my armour, and I spun around, firing my own gun at the intruder, "Hey! That wasn't very nice!"

A similar pinging sound sounded from him, as the bullets bounced off his armour, "Orran Armour?!" "I see you own the same… bullets will get us nowhere." he muttered, holstering his gun, "Let's settle this like Orrans, then."

He cracked his fists, raising them. I raised my own fists, grabbing a combat knife from its sheath.

Time for battle?

 **Yes.**

* * *

[BATTLE]

I charged at the intruder, attacking his body with my knife. He jumped over me with incredible agility, and jabbed my arm. I dodged, my armour shining in the flickering lights. He spun, knocking the knife out of my hands, "Too slow." I smiled, sidestepping as he dove at me, "Too fast."

His fist flew at me, but I grabbed it in one armoured hand, swinging him into a wall. He got up, spat out some blood, and ran at me once more, ready to kill. I ran forwards once more, my own fists poised to strike.

 **"** **STOP!"**

We froze, as Red ran in, holding a grenade launcher, "One move from _either_ of you, and I blow your face clean off!" "…"

[BATTLE COMPLETE]

* * *

"Red… I am **Dave 'Solid Snivy' Oren** , Orran Mercenary. I have orders from my employer to bring you in for a talk." the spy declared, snapping to attention. I could now see him properly.

He had a black helmet, a Kevlar vest and black flexisteel armour covering his whole body. On his back was a small backpack, with an antenna protruding from it. He wore a visor to cover his eyes, the gold-tinted material reflecting the light. There was literally nothing left uncovered. The suit was highly flexible, yet highly armoured.

"Standard Orran Defence Force grade. More specifically, the stealth units." I muttered, checking out the armour, "Were you once in the Forces?" " _WAS_." he snapped, "I was betrayed. I became a Merc to protect what is true. And White wishes for you to bring back the dead." "I was just there." Red replied, "Your mission is over. See this Light Ball? That's our key in. She's meeting me in Old Nimbasa Land."

Snivy spun his pistol, replacing it on his hip holster, "Hmph. Fine." He turned around and smashed open a window with his pistol, "I have a pay check to collect-" "Wait."

He stopped, turning to look at Red, "What?" "Can you join our team? We're travelling between regions to create an InterNational Pokedex. That, and fight all the terrorists at once." he explained, smiling, "We could use someone of your type on this team."

"What, a killer? A soldier? A spy?" Snivy asked, "I'm no hero. The things I've done are no laughing matter. I'm the worst there is."

"Well, we are the same." I replied, removing my helmet, "Sure, we are vastly different, but in the end, the blood that flows in us is the same. We are Orran. Born at Arms."

He stared at me, before giving a short chuckle, "Old Nimbasa Land, eh? I'll see you there. Then, we shall continue communication. For now, take this."

He handed me a grey headband, before jumping out of the window.

I ran over to the window, just in time to see the splash of water, as he dived away...

* * *

I poked the roast Magikarp with my fork, "Well, that happened." Red nodded, shovelling the food into his mouth, "We'll make landfall in Nimbasa City soon. Then, we shall experience the culinary wonder known to the rest of the world as Fast food. From there we shall make haste to the forest. There is a secret path to Old NL."

I picked up my cup of tea, "Nimbasa Land? Isn't that the amusement park that opened up two years back?" "Well, yes. However, there was an older, less well-known Nimbasa Land." Pika explained, climbing onto the table, " It was closed due to _multiple spring failure_ _in some of the_ _animatronics_. They _smelled like hell_ , anyway." "I don't honestly think a few smelly robots could close a place down." Red shrugged, adjusting his headset, "I always thought it was the _deaths of those kids_ that forced its closure." " …How long will we be spending there?" Chu Chu asked, hiding behind Yellow.

"Well, I figured if we hide out in the _security centre_ , we can stay _5 nights_ or so." the crimson trainer yawned, "But… Seeing as you're so scared… We can take one night. We can survive that one night, right guys?"

The autopilot began beeping. Red grinned, "Huzzah for plot obligations!" Squirtle stared at me, " He does know how to drive this ship, right?" "Don't worry, Squirtle! I read the instruction manual!"

* * *

The boat bumped into the pier, leaving a small dent on the front.

* * *

" …You just looked at the pictures and decided to wing it, right?"

Red adjusted his cap, "…No."

For a few moments, Yellow and I stared at him.

"… We should go moor this ship, y'know."

I performed a small front flip, and landed on the wooden pier, "Nimbasa City…" Squirtle looked upon the neon lights in the distance, "They say what happens in Nimbasa stays in Nimbasa." "So true." I smiled.

Red lowered the gangplank, walking out, " _Nimbasa City_ ; a wretched hive of scum and villainy. We need transport."

"Why not take my car, Red?" "Dude, were you not listening to that obvious Star Wars reference I just made? This place is violent! Driving a car like that would draw way too much attention to us!" Red exclaimed. I folded my arms, "How?" "IT HAS FREAKING KNIVES MOUNTED ON THE FRONT! IT HAS A GRAPPLING HOOK! IT'S AN **ASSAULT VEHICLE** , ED!" "Point taken. So, where do we get transport from now?"

Suddenly, a grey campervan drove up in front of us. The van stopped, and the driver got out. It was Snivy, still wearing his armour.

"I got your location, so I came here. I see you are planning on camping, Red. Don't worry. I have 4 beds in here." "Arceus, Dave. How many people live in your van?"

He shrugged, "Just me. This van was originally a vehicle I used to drive in the forces, when my squad had four people. But then…" He seemed to be remembering something from his past. It hurt.

I put my hand on his shoulder, _"It's all over now, Snivy."_ _"…Yes. That bastard paid for it all. I condemned him to a fate worse than death; Life. His whole life in prison, as a crippled man. But most of all, he has a conscience. A dark, guilty conscience. That was the punishment I have inflicted upon him." Snivy replied. A tear fell from his helmet._

That was deep. I couldn't imagine a life like that, "…Snivy…"

"Sorry, I was going off on tangents, Ed. Now." he snapped back to his serious persona, " **Get in the van.** "

Okay… My mind's telling me that this guy can't be trusted, but my body's telling me to follow him. My thoughts are somewhere in-between. Probably thinking about eating that sweet, sweet cholesterol.

"Do I need to start asking politely? **Get. Into. The. Freaking. Van.** " Snivy deadpanned, looking straight at me. I nodded quickly. Getting killed by a pissed mercenary was not on my agenda today.

Yellow sat in the small armchair in the back of the van, "For someone who kills stuff for a living, this van is quite homely." " Yeah! You even have a shower in here!" Pika yelled. "Well, in some missions, I was forced to camp in here for several weeks at a time. I take it you're Pika?" " The one and only! Accept no substitutes!" he smiled.

"I'd expected your voice to be squeakier. Well, can't be helped." Snivy muttered, "So, Old Nimbasa Land? I can take you there-" "Wait! I need cholesterol and MSG to function!" Red yelled. "So nearest 'Kalos Fried Combusken', then?" Snivy asked, climbing into the driver's seat. I nodded, "I always preferred 'McDitto's', though…" "Hey, what are you gonna do?" Yellow grumbled.

Snivy stepped on the gas, and started driving, "Hey, you lot just came from Kanto, right?" "Yeah. No duh." I replied, "Why? Oh, the whole 'You drive on the wrong side of the road' argument?"

He grabbed the gear stick and switched to top gear, "Oh, you'll have a lot more than the 'wrong side' to worry about."

We sped down the roads at highway speeds, each turn flinging me into the walls of the van. Snivy seemed calm and collected, though. He leaned into each turn like a natural, "So… Cute Squirtle. Is he your only pokemon?" "No. I have an Ivysaur and Charizard too." I replied, regaining my balance in the passenger's seat, "They're just in my balls now." "Why in blue blazes don't you take them out? Hey, don't give me that look! Sure, I sound a helluva lot like a Plasma Grunt now, but I assure you, I'm not." "…What's your stake in this, Snivy?" I questioned.

The commando shrugged, "Money; lots of it. I'm practically broke now. Not at the slots, though. Keeping this van maintained is expensive. I barely have enough to eat, let alone buy ammo. White promised me a possible place at her security department, but I'm not going for it. I don't trust people anymore, these days. Who's to say there isn't a terrorist or criminal in the ranks?" He glared at me, "I don't know if I can even trust you."

"Well, I-" "Ah, here we are."

He swerved, perfectly sliding the van into a parking spot, "Enjoy."

Red stopped holding onto Yellow for dear life, "…I think I just lost my lunch." "Soft." Snivy grumbled, "Ed, would you like to come in with me?" I blinked, "Uh, maybe I'll go alone."

I opened the doors, and climbed out.

* * *

Snivy folded his arms, thinking back to what he just said.

 _"_ _I don't know if I can even trust you."_

 _"…_ _Who am I kidding?"_ he thought to himself, walking into the shower and closing the door behind him, _"I need a guy like him around every now and again. He's funny, helpful, maybe, perhaps a little brave-_ _ **BAH**_ _, who am I kidding?"_

He sighed, removing his helmet, "This thing chafes like a mother." He looked in the reflective visor, at his true face…

 _"_ _When can I show the world my face?"_

* * *

"Four Big Mocs, please."

The waitress nodded, "Right. Wanna large tub of coke with that?" "Yes please." I nodded, unfazed, "Here ya go. Probably enough to pay off your college fees for the whole month." I handed her a large wad of notes. " **What** -How-How did you kn-" she asked, picking up the money. "Miss, I know what it's like to be in that position. Also, I can see your student ID sticking out of your breast-pocket." I yawned. She blushed, smiling," Thank you so much! This is the first bit of good news I've heard all day! You are a gift from Reshiram, thank-" "LAN! What did I say about chatting up the customers?!" a loud voice yelled from the kitchen. "I'M COMING, DAMMIT! Anyway, thank you so much!"

Yes, I was feeling overly philanthropic today. Plus I had tons of money in the bank. Why not?

Suddenly, a guy wearing a balaclava and a black jumper holding a pistol kicked the door open, " **THIS IS A ROBBERY! EVERYONE, HANDS UP!** " I walked up to him, "Bugger off, mate, or I'll use my cheats on you." "NO! YOU'RE DYING FIRST!" he yelled, raising the pistol to my head.

"… **morepoliceplease**."

He blinked, "Six stars?! How did you-" " **FREEZE! THIS IS THE NIMBASA CITY 'LIBERTY DISTRICT' POLICE!** " "…shit."

A helicopter flew overhead, the searchlight focused on the criminal as he ran outside, "NO! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME-" A SWAT team van promptly rammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

I stared at him for a few seconds, before shrugging, " **WASTED!** "

I sat back in my seat quietly, tossing my other two pokeballs to the ground. Charizard and Ivysaur emerged, stretching, "So… What now, guys?" Ivysaur yawned, " Names. Duh." Charizard nodded, " Clearly. Mine's Char." " I'm Saur." " Going with the ongoing theme here, guess that means I'm Squirt." "Right, now that's outta the way, who says we should kill Ed?" Charizard asked.

I edged back, "Oh, Arceus, not now." Saur slapped Char in the face with a vine, "CHAR!" "Ow! Only kidding, Ok?! Geez, now I've scared him." I laughed nervously, "No, not really… Please don't kill me." " So… What, exactly, should we do now?" Squirtle asked, " I'm not scared or anything, but…" "We do what we must, because we can." I replied, "Guys, tell me; Why did we choose to travel?"

" I wanted to fly far." Charizard said, stretching his wings. " I wanted to fight for who I was." Ivysaur replied, raising his vines. " Me? I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was." Squirtle sang. "…Right. We all have goals. But what we have is our own gifts. We just need to find out what." I said, looking at the trio, " Are we ready?" "YEAH!" "WHO ARE WE?!" " ORRANS!" "ARE YOU READY TO UNLEASH DEM BALLS?!"

We stared at each other, " Uh… This is for Orre?" "YEAH!"

A Lucario walked up to the table, holding our food, "Alright, here you go. Geez, and for this I left the Pokken League?"

I turned to the other guys, "Then let's go show the regions who we are." "…Can we eat first? I'm starving." Ivysaur asked, his stomach giving a low grumble. " Sorry, it's just… How come you guys are so calm about me talking to you like this?" I asked, tapping my headset to deactivate my visor.

Squirtle blinked, surprised, " What do you mean? You always knew what you were saying. You pretty much never misunderstood what we were saying." " That translator is helpful for talking to pokemon, but when you're talking to us…You always understood us." Charizard smiled, leaning back, " Ed, the four of us are the same, in a way." I chuckled, "Yeah, Hotarse." " Wait, what?"

Squirtle sniggered, "That's a good one!" "Shut up!" Charizard yelled, "It's not funny!" "Dat ass." Ivysaur grinned. " FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS IT'S A TAIL FLAME!"

I smiled, picking up the gigantic bucket of coke. This will be a good journey.

 _Good enough._

* * *

I returned to the van, "Alright guys, let's move out!"

Red nodded, putting the bottle of root beer into the fridge, "Sweet. I was getting bored of sitting around, anyway." Yellow nodded, finishing off her pizza, "You'll have to wake up Snivy, though…" "Where is he?"

"You're standing on top of him."

I looked down, and saw the mercenary lying on the ground, several bottles of liquor next to him. "Uh… How did he drink all that without taking off his helmet?" Red shrugged, "Beats me. I just left the van to eat, and when Yellow and I came back, he was just… there."

I crouched over him, and tapped his helmet's visor, "Hey… Are you ok?" There was a soft clicking sound, and he got up, "Ugh… Hangovers suck…" "…Snivy?"

He shrugged, "Well, we better get to the meeting point now. How long was I out for?" "5 minutes."

He tapped a few buttons on the side of his helmet, before nodding, "Systems back online. Well, let's keep moving, shall we?"

 _And so, we kept moving. We passed through so much as we travelled; pubs, stores, homes, young trainers… Everything was whizzing past._

 _I blinked a few times, before settling into sleep for what would be a long night…_

* * *

 _[?,?]_

 _"…_ _Y…"_

 _"…_ _Ey…"_

 ** _"…_** ** _HEY! ARE YOU AWAKE?!"_**

 _I blinked, clutching my head, "Don't yell at me like that. I'm here- What the…"_

 _I was floating in a white void, with someone standing next to me. I turned to face him, "So this is what I'm currently dreaming about- Wait, you're…!"_

 _A boy wearing a dark blue hoodie and a red cap looked at me. His hat had a black pokeball insignia on the front, and a black rim._

 _He looked down at me, before speaking,_ _ **"Where am I?"**_

 _"_ _You're…"_

 _"_ _ **Black.**_ _Trainer Black. I think I died back there, whoever you are."_

 _I hugged him, "DUDE! You've been here for four years! Wherever 'here' is…"_

 ** _"_** ** _This is my sanctuary, Mortals. What's up?"_**

 _I looked up, and saw a giant legendary pokemon before me. I gasped, "The Legendary of Light herself…"_

 ** _"_** ** _Reshiram._** _"_

 _She turned to face me, "Yeah, it's me; the one and only. Anyway, what are you two doing in the Anti-Gravity chamber?" I shook my head, "I just fell asleep on my way somewhere and Black…" Black shrugged, "Eh… I got absorbed into the Light Stone. Speaking of which, is this the afterlife?"_

 _She laughed, "Sort of. This is the afterlife, in a way. But it's also where all the great Legendaries themselves reside. We call this place the 'Tajiri Dimension'." "Wait, so I'm dead?!" Black realised, looking around, "As in, I can never go back to the real world? Darn."_

 _"_ _Pretty much. Well, almost. I am a great entity, you see, so I can give you another chance, since you didn't 'die', technically." she smiled, "But… You cannot do it yourself. You need someone else to do it. And that is what Ed is here for!"_

 _I pointed to myself, "Me? Wait, you called me here in my dream?" "Uh huh. It's trippy, right? Now, my stone can appear anywhere in space-time. You need to lead_ _ **White**_ _to the stone, get absorbed by it while holding the Light Ball, and then I shall challenge_ _ **YOU!**_ _" she pointed at me, and several explosions appeared behind her._

 _"…_ _Is it just me, or are you way too-" "Oh, I see. So the mortals think a great goddess needs to talk all weird all the time and be all 'I'm so epically immortal' all the time. Seriously, guys!" she folded her… arm thingies, "Look, all I want to say here is your plan will work."_

 _"_ _My plan?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry, Red's plan. In fact, I was the one who suggested it to him, so kudos to me."_

* * *

 _Earlier that month…_

 _"_ _Reshiram, are you sure?" Red asked._

 _"_ _Duh! Would you rather travel across the land to collect three spiritual stones, get a magical flute, travel to the future with a magical sword, kill an evil pig king to save the land and unite the Triforce, or just help me make White happy with two magical balls?" she asked, putting down the celestial N64, "Which, if you're wondering, I'm trying to beat the Sprit Temple."_

 _"…_ _Eh, why not. I'll tell Yellow." Red shrugged, "Thanks!"_

 _"_ _Exit's to your left, next to the gift shop!"_

* * *

 _"_ _So yeah!" Reshiram smiled, "Anyway, Black, any questions?" "…Do I age in this thing? It'd be weird for a 14 year old me to be dating an 18 year old White." Black muttered. Immediately, he sprouted four years' worth of stubble and grew three inches taller._

 _"_ _Oh my gosh…After all these years…Finally… I have a_ _ **BEARD! MUHAHAHAHA!**_ _" Black laughed, revelling in the glory of his new-found facial hair. I sweatdropped, "Sure…" "Anyway, Ed, that is your_ _ **FAAATTTTEEEE!**_ _" Reshiram declared, "Now, Black, you must become unconscious." "What-"_

 _There was a flash of light, and I woke up, prepared for my destiny._

 _…_ _Reshy is a really good nickname for her. Maybe I should tell her that._

* * *

[Old Nimbasa Land, Unova]

"Wake up. We're here."

I opened my eyes, and saw Yellow standing over me, "Man… Reshiram is weird." Red nodded, "I know, right. Anyway, I'm guessing she informed you of the plan while you were sleeping?" "Uh huh. Now, where are we?"

I stood up, and stepped out of the van into the fog…

The sun was setting, as twilight set in. The setting sun cast shadows over the ruins of the park, now taken over by plants and weeds. The structures of a roller coaster, Ferris wheel and an observation tower loomed over the horizon. I lowered my visor, raising my gun, "Nice place. Why here, though?" "Reshy told me that her stone would teleport here. I knew it'd be scary, but… Not this scary." the normally fearless trainer muttered, shaking, "I'm staying right here, if you don't mind. Yellow, can you scan the area?" "Let's see… Nope. Nothing on my scan." Yellow whimpered, "I can't pick up any life signs. Either we're alone, or something's cloaking the area…"

Snivy climbed out, "Alright, you lot. Ed and I shall survey the perimeter for White. You two, sit here and act like nothing suspicious is going on." "Why?"

Snivy suddenly froze, raising a hand, "Did you hear that?" I looked around, "No?" "That's because it's a stealth unit."

There was an explosion, dispersing gas everywhere. I hid behind Snivy, " **KILL IT WITH FIRE! KILL IT!** " He calmly pulled out a pistol, fired a clip behind him, and spun around, "They're scouts, not soldiers. Team Plasma has a stake in this." "What?" "I don't know." the armoured merc replied, tapping some buttons on his helmet, "I'm going to guard out here. You coming?"

I nodded, shaking, "They're not dead, are they?" "Nah. I only use tranq shots these days. I bring people in. I don't kill."

* * *

[Midnight]

I lit a small fire, sitting next to Snivy. He was sitting on a small log, holding his assault rifle. The van was behind us, in case we needed to escape.

"So… _Who are you, exactly?_ " I asked, as he tossed a twig on the fire. "I told you. I'm a mercenary. Dave Oren." "… You know that's not your real name, and I know it too." I replied, removing my helmet, "No, let me ask again, with a simpler question. What are you doing? Where do you come from?"

"I had a name. The squad called me Mudkip 4. Life was good, for a while. The Mudkip team was one of the best flight and stealth team in Orre. But then… Weak wills can be turned by promises of a better life." he slammed his knife into the log, "Number 1 sold us out. He shot down the other two in the mission. I was next. I only just escaped with my life. Even then, my plane was a wreck. They said that I could never fly it again."

"But I did. I took off, one month later, with a burning vengeance. I swore to capture the traitor and bring him in to the long arm of the law. At last, I had him. Unmasked, my gun to his forehead, ready to kill him."

 ** _"_** ** _But you didn't."_**

He nodded, staring into the burning fire, "But that's not where it all began. It all began years earlier, when I was 9. _The Orre civil war_."

My face fell. That was the last war my parents fought in. Killed by South Orran soldiers. The war that made me don the iron suit and shotgun. Where my own story began.

"My parents returned home, badly wounded, one day. They fought hard, the battle was hard, yet they returned home smiling. On that day, I made up my mind to become a soldier." he finished, leaning back. I shook my head, "Funny. That war killed my parents. It made me become a vagabond mechanic with a mech suit. The North Orran army won the war… But at a cost."

Snivy tossed me a pistol, **"Shoot me."** I blinked, "Uh… say what?" "You still hold grudges against my side, don't you? Then do it. End me here. I have nothing to live for." he muttered, kneeling before me. There were a few seconds of silence between us…

I lowered the pistol, "No. You don't deserve to die like an enemy. Look around you, Snivy. There is life all around us. And hell, that's all the reasons we have to live. That's what I'm fighting for. And… What I think you fight for too."

He looked up at me, the moonlight reflecting in his visor, "…One day… I shall see what you mean by that… Thank you… Ed."

A white flake landed on my arm. I looked up, "Snow!" The man in the black armour looked up, "I loved the snow as a child. The snowballs… Making snow angels…"

 _I put my hand over his shoulder, "Me too…"_

Suddenly, a loud screeching sound tore up the tranquillity of the night. Several screams sounded, followed by a loud crack.

"Trouble. That way!" Snivy yelled, getting up. I nodded, putting on my helmet, "No need to tell me twice!"

We dashed across the abandoned park, weapons raised. Snivy was elegantly running across the ice calmly, but I was sliding across the ice, "How are you able to-" "My boots have micro heating in them, allowing me to run across the ice without sliding. I think your boots should have small jets in them, right?" he asked.

The leg boosters were experimental. Not powerful enough for flight, but I was still working on them. Problem is, how did he know?

"It's pretty obvious, Ed. The iron cylinders on the side of your boots don't leave much to the imagination." he replied, "Use them."

 _…_ _I hate mind readers._

* * *

 _A dark figure hid in the bushes. She raised her binoculars to her eyes, "We are rapidly approaching zero hour. Shall I engage?" "No." a person in white next to the scout muttered, "Let her see those people first. Then, we shall reveal ourselves."_

 _"_ _Understood…_ ** _Lord N_** _."_

* * *

 _Who are these mysterious people (Well, you can kinda tell… It's pretty obvious.)?_

 _Why is Snivy so mysterious? Why does he never remove his armour?_

 _What is the 'Challenge' Reshy is hiding up her sleeve?_

 _Will I ever actually make the FNAF reference better by actually fighting robots?_

 _Whatever happened to_ _ **Black 2**_ _?!_

 _Find out next time on:_

 **POKEMON- EXTENDED ADVENTURES!**

* * *

 **[Saving Game...]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

Hey, was it just me, or did 'Solid Snivy' remind me of someone?

...Nah, that wasn't a reference to anything at all. Old Nimbasa Land, however...

Tangents aside, video games really inspire some of my ideas. Reshiram's persona was based off Palutena from Kid Icarus: Uprising, while Snivy was based off both Halo and Metal Gear Solid.

Did you also spot the several nods to Pokken? Yeah, you can foresee an arc coming up based on that, can't you? In fact, the main character of that future arc made a guest appearance in this chapter!

 _The best is yet to come._

Ok, that's enough MGS references now.

Ed out _*Codec ringtone*_

* * *

 _"This is good..."_

 _"Isn't it?"_


	3. Chapter 3: The Quick and The Red

Huzzah! A new chapter!

... Oh and Fire Emblem Fates came out. That's good too, right?

Anyway, I need to tell you guys something important. Scroll all the way to the bottom to read my short apology.

Thanks, internet. Now, without further ado... LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The quick and the Red.**

* * *

 **[Loading save file…]**

 **[Save Loaded!]**

* * *

 _Previously on_ **Pokemon- Extended Adventures…**

 _"…_ _Oh my gosh, I wasn't dreaming?! I'm literally on a boat with…You two? The realisation… It's all sinking in now… Can I… Uh…"_

 _"_ _You tell me. I don't understand this kind of tech. They said it came from the_ _ **Ferrum Islands**_ _in Orre."_

 _"_ _I am_ _ **Dave 'Solid Snivy' Oren**_ _, Orran Mercenary."_

 _"_ _ **Nimbasa Land**_ _? Isn't that the amusement park that opened up two years back?"_

 _"_ _It was closed due to multiple spring failure in some of the animatronics. They smelled like hell, anyway."_

 _"_ _They say what happens in Nimbasa stays in Nimbasa."_

 _A boy wearing a dark blue hoodie and a red cap looked at me. His hat had a black pokeball insignia on the front, and a black rim._

 _"_ _You're…"_

 _"_ _ **Black.**_ _Trainer Black. I think I died back there, whoever you are."_

 _"_ _I can give you another chance, since you didn't 'die', technically."_

 _"_ _You need to lead_ _ **White**_ _to the stone, get absorbed by it while holding the Light Ball, and then I shall challenge_ _ **YOU!**_ _"_

 _"_ _No. You don't deserve to die like an enemy. Look around you, Snivy. There is life all around us. And hell, that's all the reasons we have to live. That's what I'm fighting for. And… What I think you fight for too."_

 _"_ _We are rapidly approaching zero hour. Shall I engage?"_

 _"_ _Understood…_ _ **Lord N.**_ _"_

 _ **There was a flash of light, and I woke up, prepared for my destiny...**_

 _ **POKEMON- EXTENDED ADVENTURES: EPISODE 3- THE QUICK AND THE RED.**_

* * *

[Old Nimbasa Land, Unova]

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAA- Oof! My back- OH SHI- ARRRRRGH!"**

Whoever was making those sounds sounded like she was falling off a cliff. Hey, here's a random cliff right next to me here! Hey, look!

 **Someone's falling down this cliff!**

My powers of stating the obvious are as sharp as ever.

I ran underneath said cliff, "Snivy, can you see her?" "Right above you. You might want to catch her before she breaks her spinal cord or something." the armoured Orran yelled. "I love it when you're so reassuring." I grumbled, lowering my visor.

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGHH- OOF!"** the person yelled, falling right into my arms. I promptly turned around and walked off, just as a random ATV landed behind me, exploding…Yes, I'm walking away from an explosion.

 **The movie clichés in this episode are going to keep happening, and there's not a thing you can do about it!**

I placed the person on the ground, "You okay there, miss?" The mysterious person coughed a bit, before weakly muttering, " **I…I think so.** " She got up, dusting herself off, "WhoareyouamIsafewhereamIwhyismyhiredmercenaryhereandwhatexactlyisgoingonImsurethiswasntinthescript?!"

"Woah! Calm yourself down, woman!" I said, removing my helmet, "To answer your all questions, though…ImEdYeahyouaresafenowOldNimbasaLandIdontknowIhaveafateIneedtofufillthatwasgiventomeinthepreviousepisodeandnothisprobablywasntinthescriptbutwhatthehellletsjustdoit!"

I paused, catching my breath, "Phew, do you normally talk this fast? I can't keep up." "… **WHITE!** " Snivy gasped, "Are you okay?"

Trainer **White** nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for saving me back there, whoever you are." "I'm Ed. Trainer Ed." I replied, "I was travelling with Red, when Snivy came out of nowhere and told us you wanted to see Red. He's not far from here. Can I escort you?"

White nodded, "One second. I need to check…" She dug around in the pocket of her jeans, before pulling out a pokeball, "Are you ok, **Gigi**?"

The ball shook, and through my translator I heard a few muffled swear words. Once a Unovan, always a Unovan… Even for pokemon.

"Language, Gigi! What would the PR say if they heard about this?" White whispered to the ball. "I don't know, but if they hear their CEO had been running around forests at night with two armoured dudes, they'd probably have a cow." I replied, "You did tell them, right?" She blushed, "What d'ya think?! I couldn't tell them! If I did…Best not to worry about it." "Agreed." Dave nodded.

"So… Ed. What's this destiny you told me about?" White asked, as she walked through the ruins. "Reshiram told Red and I in a dream to take you to this place. Yeah, it's weird, but-" _"I've been having that same dream too, oddly enough."_

I blinked, "What?" "Yeah… In my dream, Reshiram told me to come here… and Black was beside me… Unconscious, mind you…" she closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek, "But… He was still Black. The boy I travelled alongside… The champion… The 'Hero of Unova'… and the boy I loved."

She looked skyward, "I want to see him again! I want to be by his side once more… Laughing…Crying… Breathing… **I'm sorry for putting you in that debt, Black!** "

She closed her eyes, crying…

I smiled, "Well…Just saying… **This would make a great film, y'know.** "

 _"…_ _What?"_

"I mean, your company's quite poor right now, right?" I suggested, changing the subject, "I mean, not to insult you or anything, but if you made this into a film…With you and Black playing roles as yourselves… You would rake it in! It has everything; action, adventure, crossovers, comedy, drama, romance…" White blinked, confused, before thinking, "Wait…Actually, I'll get back to you on that…There's an idea… Still, we still have a task at hand, right guys? C'mon, we're burning the lamps into the night here! So let's hurry up and get back to Red!"

We ran through the snow, my boots crunching as I dashed through the thick snow. White followed closely behind me. Only now did I notice her clothing properly.

She still wore her classic hat, but also wore a pair of long black jeans and snow boots for the cold. She also wore a white hoodie over her clothes, with a dark blue bulletproof vest with an ammo belt covering her chest. Around her neck was a pink scarf. Finally, on her back was a shotgun.

I opened the door of the van, "Red! We're home!"

The Kanto League veteran sat up in the armchair, "Great! Is she with-" **"RED!"**

White ran in, knocking him and Yellow to the ground, "Oh my **GOSH**! It's really you! The Hero of Kanto! Is it true that you freeze up around Yellow when a certain question is asked? Wow, you're a lot shorter than I expected you to be! How are the Rainbow Four in Kanto?! Is it true you had an affair with Misty once? What about Zapmolcuno? Was fighting it scary? Was it awesome? **Was it scary how awesome it was?!** I love you two!" "Uh… I'm a girl you realize, right?" the person she was hugging whimpered. White froze, "You must be S**tting me. I always thought Red was a guy-" "I'm over here. You're hugging Yellow's leg."

White looked up, and saw Yellow blushing, "Well, that was- WAIT YOU'RE A GIRL?! **WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME THIS?!**... This will make for the most controversial report **ever**. But…You don't exactly look female to me…"

I handed White a glass of milk, much to her confusion. She started drinking it randomly, when Yellow removed her hat, "Don't tell anyone."

The blond ponytail fell out, and, as on cue, White spat out the milk, " **WHAAAAAAT?!** " "Ladies and gents, I give you the simplest disguise ever made since Clark Kent put on those glasses." I declared, sitting on a bed, "Oh, and it never fooled me the first time I saw it. Seriously, guys. Why does everyone fall for it?"

Red turned to White, "So… Did your bodyguard come? It's awfully unlike you celebrity types to come out here without a guard."

"… Wait, **RAKUTSU!** Where did he go?!"

* * *

[Route 4: 'The Flying Magikarp' Pub]

The small pub was in full swing, with patrons literally filling it. There were a few people passed out on the floor already from the rather strong alcoholic drinks being served. There was possibly a drug dealer in a corner. This was normal, for this small, sleepy desert town.

Suddenly, the double doors in the pub swung open, and a dark figure walked in. The patrons looked up. The bartender stopped wiping his cup. Everyone held their breath…

"…I need a beer." Rakutsu muttered, walking in.

The bartender nodded, stroking his beard, "So, what's been going on?" "Bad day, Chuck. I was following the person I was assigned to protect in an ATV, and she drove off a cliff…" he grabbed the tankard, groaning, "What's the Chief gonna think? One job, he said. I had one job. And I screw it all up." He put his head in his hands.

"Things could be a lot worse, cop." the bartender said, adjusting his black hat, "You could've been bitten by an Ekans." "Tell me that one again. That was funny." Rakutsu smiled, sitting up. "Well, I was out in the field, when I was bitten by a-" **"FREEZE! THIS PUB IS OURS NOW!"**

A Team Plasma squad holding various firearms kicked the doors open, **"HANDS UP! ALL OF YOU!"** Chuck cracked his fists, "One second, Mate."

He calmly walked up to the leader, and grabbed the Uzi out of his hands, "Don't mind if I borrow this. Now, I suggest you leave now, before I count to three." "You dare oppose Team Plasma?!"

Chuck raised the gun, " **Three.** "

He fired the gun, sending the terrorists running. Their leader raised a shield, "So? Do you honestly think that **bullets** shall get rid of-" "I'd like you to meet someone close to me… Someone who has helped me throughout my whole life… Meet my **FOOT!** "

The bartender performed a roundhouse kick, launching the leader into another building. Smoke literally blew out of his boot, as the person flew through the building and slammed into a cliff with a massive explosion.

Chuck shrugged, "Must be getting rusty. My faithful roundhouse was only 50% as strong that time. At this rate, I'll need a shotgun."

Rakutsu's mouth fell open, " _Sweet Reshiram…_ "

"So, the snake got me, and it died of poisoning a few days later." Chuck finished, "So, you buying, buddy?"

* * *

[Old Nimbasa Land, Nimbasa City]

"Never mind. The stone hasn't appeared yet!" White said, picking up her shotgun, "We must find it ASAP!"

 _"_ _I have found it."_

We turned around, and behind us was another Trainer. He wore a black cap, and a white shirt. On his waist was a small knife, as well as a few grenades and a pistol. I reached for my own knife, " **YOU!** "

"Me, indeed." **N** replied, drawing his own knife, "I do not wish to fight." "Oh, but I sure do." Snivy and I said at the same time, the former suddenly drawing a katana from his bag. "What are you doing here, N?" Red asked, approaching the resistance leader, "What do you what?"

"I can help you and your cause, Red. My forces are positioned around this park. I have reports that my father has plans to seize the stone once more." N replied, "You and your pitiful team stand no chance in holding them off." Red nodded, "Fine. Truce…For now."

N laughed, "I have no reason to question your views before this battle." "Nor do I. But we're not exactly allied either." I muttered, "Lead us. And don't try anything funny, mate."

We followed him, a squad of his men following us. I looked around. Three soldiers with assault rifles, two with pistols, and one with a minigun. Seems legit.

I turned back to N, hoping to strike up casual conversation with him, "So, I heard the 'great leader' has a soft spot for White." He froze for a second, before continuing, "Who wouldn't? I am the east, and she is the sun." "She's got Black. Sorry, N." The terrorist folded his arms, "Do you understand who you are taunting, foolish Orran? My forces here can wipe you out in seconds." "And who in the world said I wasn't prepared?" Snivy suddenly butted in, "Your soldiers have a self-destruct mechanism on their badges to prevent defection. Now, say if I was to…For example… _Hack_ this system…"

A small badge on N's collar flashed red for a second. I jumped back, "RUN FOR IT!" N laughed, "Do you honestly think that I would install a self-destruct device on my own badge? How silly! Someone of my intellect-" "Would hide it in his hat." Snivy muttered, "I got that under my control too, and all your security systems. Including that stupid out-dated gun hidden in your sleeve."

N glared at Snivy, "This is serious now. How dare you defile my security systems?" Snivy glared back, " _It's my job, N._ "

They got into a fighting stance, circling each other.

I rolled my eyes, leaning over to the nearest soldier, "Is he always like this?" He shrugged, "Pretty much. I only do this job because it pays well."

* * *

[BATTLE]

Snivy ran at N, who raised his gun. The pistol shots bounced off the armour, as the Mercenary pulled out his katana. He jumped over the terrorist, who fired his pistol at him. Snivy swung his sword, sending the bullets bouncing. "The odds of you winning this fight are low." N muttered, grabbing Snivy's fist. Snivy spun swinging him into a tree, "Then I'll fight even lower." "What do you-" **"BLASTY!"**

A jet of water hit N, knocking him into a tree. I looked up. From the cliffs above, a Blastoise wearing a grey headband jumped down. N laughed, "Look at you… Serving this pitiful man…" " _Least I don't have a tranq in my back._ " the pokemon shot back, her eyes focused on something behind N, "Clean shot, **IVY!** "

There was a gunshot, the terrorist flinching. An Ivysaur swung down on a vine from a tree. In one of her vines, she held a sniper rifle, " He's weakened a bit." N reeled, before regaining his balance, "So… Three of you? You believe you can defeat me?" Snivy smirked, "And I thought you were **good** at maths! You're one out."

N turned around, spotting a cardboard box. He fired at it, before calmly walking over to inspect it, "Four minus One is Three, foolish Orran."

Snivy smirked.

 _"_ _Ah, but you forgot one thing…"_

 _"_ _A cardboard box…While a useful asset in stealth operations…"_

 _A small dark figure hid in the bushes, wearing a grey stealth suit._

 _"_ _At the end of the day…"_

 _N lifted the box, revealing… nothing._

 _"_ _It is only made of_ _ **paper.**_ _"_

 **"** **!"**

The Charmander started strangling N, who fell to the ground, "How… did I not anticipate… someone like you?"

Snivy walked over to him, and pulled out a pistol. He held it to his forehead, knocking aside the black hat, "Simple. I did the math."

The other soldiers ran toward him, but the Blastoise blocked their advance. It was time to end the madness.

 _Snivy glared at N, his face hidden by his golden visor. He cocked his gun, the icy winds blowing in N's emerald hair. N's face was one of terror, confusion, the face of a man whose plans had been foiled by a simple child. Snivy remained emotionless, his black helmet hiding his emotions. Then, Snivy uttered a simple, childlike sentence in a stony voice._

 ** _"_** ** _Happy die day, N."_**

 **"** **STOP!"**

 **I had enough of this.**

I ran between the two, **"YOU TWO ARE BOTH MORONS, AND THIS WHOLE CAUSE IS RETARDED, AND I DON'T GIVE TWO HOOTS ABOUT THIS ANYMORE!"**

[BATTLE COMPLETE]

* * *

Everyone stared at me. I folded my arms, "I said, _this whole war is a stupid misunderstanding!"_ N glared at me, "How very dare you?!" "No, how very dare **YOU?** "

 _"_ _Look at us! We're behaving like Pokemon! What do you fight for, N?"_

 _"_ _Pokemon Freedom-"_

 _"_ _So, Freedom from what? Trainers? Humans? Help? When will you realise we are the same? We are but animals, in the end. But we are different from them because we are… human. We care for each other, we help each other! You say you do all you can to free them, but in the end, you're simply killing them!_ _ **Remember your childhood?**_ _Do you really want another child to grow up in a war-torn wasteland with pokemon dying everywhere? You're sick! We fight with pokemon because they're one of us! The trainer reflects in the trained! We don't fight to prove we're stronger, N. We fight because we choose to! We are our enemy! Humans make Pokemon fight. Isn't that your reason to free them, N? But guess what? Do you honestly think we all force weak pokemon into battle because we want to be stronger? Would you let a dying soul keep fighting? Would you let them fight on if it meant they would lose their life?_ _ **Would you kill them, N?**_ _"_

 _"…"_ _he shut his eyes, leaning on a tree, "So? You 'Trainers' do it all the time."_

 _"…_ _Softy. You never knew what a true battle is. Kill a pokemon, and part of his or her trainer dies too. Kill the trainer… and the same happens on the other side. That's what I don't understand about you guys. Has so much died inside of you that you have forgotten what it means to be human? I'll tell you. It means to be caring. It means to solve everything diplomatically. It means to love. It means to defend your truths, yet accept other truths. In that sense… We are both guilty. But the last part is the most important. Shall I tell you, Team Plasma?"_

 _There was a few seconds of silence, before a single grunt removed his badge, "Alright, then. I don't care if I die, honestly. I've lived this lie for too long." He tossed the badge into the were a few more silent seconds, before the others followed. I could've sworn I saw tears in their eyes._

 _I nodded, "Now, I'm not telling anyone to turn on N. He was just a misguided soul. Would you kill a lost boy? No? Good! I see you've already mastered the final rule. To be human… is to be able to forgive."_

 _Snivy blinked inside of his helmet. Tears flowed from his eyes, as he silently cried._

 _"_ _What an ironic statement for an Orran like me. Several years of civil wars in my homeland are no sign of this, I guess. But I have a story to tell. N was a very lucky boy. He had a father to take care of him. Something I, Trainer Ed Catcher, never had. Yet, here I am, taking on that role to inspire thought in him. The question is; will he take notice? Will you pass the following test?"_

 _N stood up, "What? Another battle?"_

 _I shook my head, pulling out my gun. I loaded it, and handed it to him. He looked at it, "A loaded gun?"_

 _I kneeled on the ground, removing my helmet. I pulled the barrel toward my head, "Will you pull the trigger? I honestly don't care about anything anymore… I live alone in the woods of Kanto with only my pokemon for company… I don't think I can go on! My parents died protecting me. My uncle is slowly dying. Soon, I will be the last of the Catcher bloodline. Soon, only my pokemon will be the only things that shall carry on my story… That's what you want, right? What your father taught you. So, just do it, N. Do what you wanted to do."_

 _Tears fell from my eyes, as I shut my eyes, "N…child…Choose your fate."_

 _A gunshot. My breath stops._

* * *

 ** _"…_** ** _What… What… WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR?!"_**

 _I looked up._

There he was, gun raised to the sky, the barrel smoking. His heart rate didn't fluctuate. He didn't flinch. He was telling the truth.

 _"_ _I…I'm sorry… Not just to you… but to Unova." the terrorist leader kneeled on the ground. He put his cap over his chest, eyes shut, "I'm sorry… Arceus… I'm sorry, Mother… I'm sorry, Unova." Tears fell from his eyes, "I'm just a low-life piece of scum. A dirty bastard who manipulated others… Nobody was ever truly with me, standing by my side…"_

 ** _"_** ** _I was. And so was Black."_**

 _He turned around, and saw White behind him. I got up, "White…" "I was by your side. Not exactly, as in believing in your misguided cause, but I sometimes lay in bed, wondering what kind of person you were." the CEO muttered, eyes shut, "And so was Black. He still hated you, and perhaps he'll still hate you when we break him outta suspended animation, but he always wondered what circumstances led you down this path. So… For the two of us… As Black's voice… We're glad you're no longer going down that path." She looked up, tears filling her eyes, "_ _ **We still believed there was some good in you, N.**_ _You see, even though you played a role in stopping us, even though you thought you were doing what was 'right' even though it was wrong… Black, Cheren and Bianca may have been the chosen ones… But in the end, N…_ _ **You were the chosen one.**_ _"_

 _The Unovan girl burst into tears,_ _ **"Thank you… both of you… for paying off old debts."**_

 ** _"_** ** _You remind me of Black a little, Ed… Thank you for fighting for his side. If he were here, that's exactly what he would've said, too._**

 _N stood up, "White… I swear, from this day on… I, as ex-leader of Team Plasma, have decided that Team Plasma is no more._ ** _Team Plasma is now officially dissolved._** _"_

 _Everyone stared at us, shocked. I blinked. Enemy and ally alike, they had heeded my words. Why? I had unleashed the most potent weapon any being could ever have in their lives. Not a firearm. Not a sharp blade. Not poison or explosive._

 ** _I had gone up against N with only one weapon; words._**

 ** _And I had won._**

 _N smiled. It wasn't a menacing smile, nor the smile of a plotter, an enemy or a faked smile. It was the smile of an honest man, a friendly smile._

 _"_ _How ironic an orphan born on a battlefield has greater insight about peace than a boy raised in peace with his father."_

He threw the gun to the ground, _"…I want to change how this story ends."_ I got up, holstering my gun, "Good. Then we can change this for the better."

N turned around, "Fine. I think I now know who our true enemy is…" "Agreed. He started this war. He raised you as a soldier, not a son. The whole 'liberation' thing was just a front for his darker intentions; whatever they are."

N turned to his men, "Call the choppers. We need to plan an assault." I walked up to him, "Do what you will, N. But the era of your father is over. The time has come to set things right."

He saluted, "Understood. I acknowledge your ideas as well. Thank you… Ed." I saluted back, "Hey, I was just getting it out there, N. The damage may take longer to heal, but it will eventually. Take your soldiers and forces to defend truth and justice. Build a world of truth, not one of what is right, as the latter depends upon what the person fighting believes in. And nobody was ever perfect." "Acknowledged, Ed. I shall make Unova great again. Just watch." N promised, shaking my hand. I smiled, "I trust you do the right thing now. End this chaos."

A helicopter flew overhead, lowering a rope ladder. N's squad climbed the ladder into their helicopter. N turned once more to face me, "I promise, I shall right the wrongs we've committed. I swear to Arceus."

I smirked, **"Swear to me!"**

* * *

 _In the skies above, a Braviary soared overhead with a loud cry. The national pokemon of Unova. A sign of peace, freedom, the Unovan dream. It flapped its powerful wings, before gliding away into the horizon, a beacon of hope, of victory, of Unova and all who lived in the land of the free._

 _ **"**_ _ **Godspeed, Ed!"**_ _N declared, saluting as he flew after the bird, the helicopters flying off to their next operation._

 _"_ _You too, N!"_

* * *

We resumed running, White leading the way. Suddenly, a large glowing portal generated before us. I walked up to it, "Snivy, I'm going to need you to-" He nodded, "I understand. I shall guard out here, White… and Ed too." His voice was softer, almost female. He seemed affected by my speech earlier. I put my hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok? Is something wrong, Snivy?"

He stared at me silently, "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Just go, Ed. Do what you were told to do." He put his hand on my shoulder, _"You just reminded me why I never show my face."_

I turned to head into the portal, "Wish me luck." I reached for my helmet, when Snivy stopped me, _"Wait. Aren't you forgetting something?"_

I chuckled, tying on the headband he gave me, before putting on the helmet, _"Some things never change…"_

 _I held White's hand, charging into the portal, "Here we come, Black!"_

 _We warped away, leaving flames in our wake. White's badge fell off, spinning on the ground before falling. It was meant to be a gift to Black. It read, 'Out of Time.'_

* * *

 _How fitting._

 _Snivy chuckled, removing his helmet and running a gloved hand through his hair. The less this lovable mechanic knew, the better, he thought._

 ** _"_** ** _I understand."_**

 _He gasped, turning around and slamming his helmet back on, "Yellow! How did you get here so-" "I was flying after you guys ever since you left base camp." she explained, walking up to Snivy, "So… that's what you really are." "… You're going to tell everyone, aren't you?" Snivy muttered, removing his helmet. "No… I mean, I had to go through most of my missions similarly, so I won't tell." Yellow replied, "Let's keep this between us, ok?"_

 _Snivy nodded, putting his helmet back on, "Please…_ ** _Keep it a secret to everybody._** _"_

 _"_ _I promise… Whoever you really are."_

* * *

[Tajiri Dimension, Reshiram's sanctum]

 **"** **TO THE DARK WORLD!"**

White stared at me, "Wait, what?" "It's from 'A Link to the Past'. Haven't you played it?" I asked, as we appeared in a massive hall, "Say… Where's our Legendary now?"

There was a few muffled yells from the back of the room, and a pair of double doors slowly swung open. White and I prepared ourselves for battle. Whatever foul beast emerged from those doors, we could handle it.

 **"** **Oof!"**

Or not…

Reshiram got up, "Dammit, fell down the staircase again… I tell them not to use soap to polish the diamond, and they still do it…" "Uh…Are we going to fight yet?" White asked, folding her arms.

 _"_ _Sorry, Sorry. Welcome to my living room!"_

I looked around, "…You're a Goddess, yet you have a living room?" "Well, it's actually the battle arena, but hardly anyone uses it these days, so I use it as my den. Anyway, allow me…"

 ** _"_** ** _Accept this final challenge! Unleash the Light Mech!"_**

The arena glowed with lights, before a large spotlight shone down on us. I looked up, preparing for battle…

A massive humanoid battlemech landed before us. It slammed its fist on the ground, the iron clanking as it got up again, " _ **YOU SHALL NOT PASS!**_ " I scanned it, "Amazing…It's made entirely out of Light Stone…" "Hence the name." White muttered, pulling out a pokeball, "Lucario, let 'em have it!"

* * *

[BOSS BATTLE]

A Lucario came out, generating a bone out of his aura, "ALRIGHT! LET'S KICK SOME- SUGAR HONEY ICE BUT NO TEA, WHAT THE (Beep) IS THAT?!"

The mech rotated its massive arm towards the aura pokemon, twin Gatling guns folding out of its arms. The pokemon smiled, swinging the bone, "Shall we dance?" I shook my head, sending out all my pokemon, "Take it out!" The six of us ran at the bolted behemoth, dodging gunfire. Immediately, my scanners began searching for a weak point. I fired my shotgun at its head several times, "There has to be a weakness somewhere!" " Where? And how?"

I lowered my helmet, "I don't know."

White stared at me, _"What?"_

The Lucario shook his head, generating a violin from his aura, "White?"

 ** _"_** ** _It has been an honour playing for you tonight."_**

White facepalmed, "You can't be serious."

 _"_ _Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!"_

 _"_ _Even though it be a cross that raiseth me;"_

 _"_ _Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee."_

 _"_ _Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee-_ **Oof!** _"_

The Lucario was knocked back by a massive explosion, landing in my arms, "DAMMIT!"

I helped him up, preparing to attack, "You ok there?" "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm **Luc** , if you need my name. Unovan Police Force." I shook his hand, "I'm Ed. Trainer 'Iron' Ed of Orre. What are you, a Cop or a Mouse?" The pokemon suddenly flared up, "I got this. You two sit by the side playing cards. I can handle this all by my-"

The mech suddenly sprouted two rocket pods, **"** ** _TIME TO DIE, MORTALS!"_** It spun, drawing a sword from its back. The sword burst into flames, as the mech sprouted dragon wings and started flying. And it was breathing fire too. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the most generic RPG boss ever.

"AAAAHHH! MEAT SHIELD, MEAT SHIELD!" Luc screamed, pushing me in front of him. I groaned, grabbing the bone he was holding, "Wuss."

I threw it to White, who grabbed it, "Sweet. I think I know how to use this…" She studied it quickly, before spinning it quickly, **_"KAME HAME HAAA!"_**

Several fully charged Aura Spheres flew out of the bone, striking the enemy. It was clearly a powerful attack…

I turned to Luc, "Your Aura is effective against the enemy! Stop cowering back there like a cowardly custard and fight!" "It is? **IT IS! MUHAHAHA!** " the cop laughed, raising his fists, **"ALRIGHT, BEAST! LOOKS LIKE HELL IS A FATE WE BOTH SHARE…."**

The mech driver blinked, "The what now?"

 **"** **FAAAAALLLLCOOONNN…PAWNCH!"**

The Lucario punched the mech in the face, blue aura sparking from his fist. I cheered, "Yeah! We're doing it! We could actually win this-" **_"GET LAZORED!"_**

The mech fired a massive laser beam at the Lucario, blasting him into a wall screaming, **"YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-*THUD*-Ouch, that hurt."**

I shrugged, "We need backup… But who?" White's face looked lost in thought, before settling, "Reshiram, can you summon in…a man from our world to fight with us… A man who needs to be forgiven for his sins…" Reshy blinked, "Who? Not… ** _Him?!_** " White nodded, "I've chosen him. He will fight in this battle with us!" "Why?"

 _White smiled, "I believe I second chances. Sue me, why don't you?"_

Another portal appeared above us, before a boy in white jumped out, holding an axe in one hand, **"I'LL CHOP YOUR HEAD OFF!"**

And chop the mech's head off he did.

N landed in front of us, swinging his hatchet, "So… We meet once more, Ed." I turned to White, "N?" She nodded, smiling, "I just decided his debt wasn't _quite_ paid off." "Alright, you two. Enough talk." N declared, axe raised, "It is time for the ultimate battle!"

We ran straight at the mech once more, prepared to finish what Black had started, those four years ago.

N threw his axe at the mech's legs, before jumping up onto it, using the weapon to climb up, "I'm doing this for Black. For my enemy,who I now salute." White ran behind the beast, pulling a grenade from her bag, "Alright, guys! We started this battle four years ago! ARE WE GOING TO FAIL NOW?!" My pokemon and I flew up to the front of the mech, bullets, water, vines and flame flying, "NO!"

The titan spun around at the attack from all sides, **_"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THIS IS MADNESS!"_**

Madness? No.

 **"** **THIS IS UNOVA!"** we screamed at the same time, as the mech exploded. N wiped the oil off his face, "Did we get it?"

The robot rose again, smoking and sparking. I shook my head, "Nope. Round 2, guys." White turned to N, "Why are you using an axe?" "I keep an axe hanging on the walls of my quarters, should I need to use it. I was in bed when you summoned me." he explained, putting the axe on his back and donning sunglasses, "But I'll need more than an axe to kill this beast. I need to use…" He pulled a small Riolu from his backpack, " **Rilo** , you got this!"

He threw it at the head, and the small aura pokemon grabbed on. She generated a small sword using her aura, stabbing it into the cockpit, "HYAH!" My mouth fell open, "N… Why is there a Riolu in your backpack?" "…Why is there a jar of jelly beans in yours?" he snapped back, lacking a better explanation. I glared at him, "Those jelly beans are _mine_ , N!" "Whatever…"

White dug into her bag, and pulled out a small knife, "…Now…Today, I fight for more than Unova… Today, I fight for more than justice…"

She ran at the mech, jumping up the mechanical parts, " **I fight for my friends!** "

With that, she jammed the small blade into the cockpit, before getting knocked off with Rilo.

 ** _"_** ** _FOOLS! YOU CANNOT HOPE TO BEST ME!"_** the mech driver declared, raising a rocket pod at the two, ready to fire…

 **"** **HADOUKEN!"**

Luc jumped back into the scene, flinging blazing energy balls everywhere, destroying the missiles. The mech fell back, as Luc caught Rilo in one hand, "Phew, that took long enough." "Hey! Why the heck are you-" "I'm sorry, I should've let those missiles hit you and White, and kill you both!" he smirked, putting her on the ground, "Plasma scum. Didn't they tell you to thank people who save your life?" She looked back at the mech, "…I guess so…Thanks. Now go kick some ass out there."

The Lucario ran straight at the mech once more, generating a pair of knuckle-dusters around his fists, "My employers told me to never resort to brute force, or punch someone in the face…"

He grinned evilly, "But my employers aren't in this dimension, meaning I get to **PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!** " The fists collided with the body, cracking its armour.

White turned to N and I, nodding, "Weak spot located. _All together, now!_ "

White sent out Gigi, **"FLAME WHEEL!"**

N threw his axe, a grenade tied to the handle, **"HERE I COME!"**

Luc raised his fists to strike, **"SHORYUKEN!"**

Rilo generated a massive missile, **" USE THE FORCE, LUC!"**

I turned to my team. Charizard nodded, his tail flame flaring up. Ivysaur gave a short salute, charging up energy. Squirtle gave a thumbs up, his shell vibrating.

I spun around, pointing forward, **"TAKE THIS! TRIPLE FINISH!"**

The attacks all hit home at the same time on the weakened armour, blowing up the mech once and for all.

 _I spun around, calmly walking away from the explosion, donning my sunglasses._

 **It was over…**

White walked over to the wreckage, nudging it with her foot. She grinned, "It's dead." I turned to her, **"You know what we have to do."** The trainer smiled, "Just like Black would've liked…"

She began crouching repeatedly over the remains, _"TEABAG! TEABAG! TEABAG! TEABAG!"_

 _N laughed, joining in._

 _I shook my head, repeating the action._

[VICTORY!]

* * *

Reshiram reappeared, "Alright, and time's up! You win Black! That was such a touching battle… Enemies and friends alike… both fighting alongside each other… This is why I love humans. They are so… so…even when they're doing ordinary things… It stirs up something deep in me…" Tears fell from her eyes, " _Go, Young White! You have fought valiantly. You deserve this gift. I mean it, honestly. I'm sorry for keeping him from you for so long…"_

* * *

 _Before her, there was a sparkling figure. White walked up to it, her heart beating faster. Was this truly the hero she had fought with for so long? Was she truly getting him back today?_

 _The sparkling figure materialised, revealing an 18-year old boy in blue. White smiled, watching the face she missed for four years materialise. She looked back at N. He was on his knees, his hat held to his chest. His lime hair blew in the light wind. A tear rolled down his cheek. Perhaps what he was truly was a lost boy…_

 _White looked ahead. The boy was now before her. His brown hair was now long and flowing behind him. 4 years of sleep didn't make him any prettier, admittedly, but he was still the Hero of Unova. The trainer who fought the good fight. The boy who died in the line of duty…_

 ** _Black_** _looked up slowly, his brown eyes scanning the area. White couldn't hold it in any longer._

 _She ran at him, jumping and knocking him to the ground in the hardest embrace. The boy trainer blinked, confused, before his sleepy mind woke up, processing the people around him. He shut his eyes, crying. White stroked his cheek…_

 _Four years had ended in this…_

 _She sat up, Black's dream-like eyes looking into hers. Then she said three soft, happy words._

 _"_ _Good morning…Black."_

 _Black smiled back, uttering his first words to his best friend in an eternity._

 _"_ _Good morning…White."_

 _And all was well once more._

* * *

 _I wiped the tears from my eyes, "That was… beautiful." N nodded, replacing his hat back on his head, "Wonderful… Can we now return to our world?"_

 _Reshiram nodded, "Ed… I have given you a gift. Take this stone." A small glowing stone on a rope floated down onto me. I picked it up, tying it onto my belt. "This stone lets me talk to you, no matter where you are. Useful if you need a bit of… Divine intervention."_

 _I suddenly felt something tugging on my leg. I looked down._

 _There was a tiny snivy pulling on my leg, "Excuse me… Can I go with you?"I crouched next to it, "Hello? You can talk in our language?" "Duh. Didn't you hear me driving that bigass mech earlier? I'm Leafer, a soldier in Lady Reshiram's army. I want to travel with you!" Reshiram shrugged, "Why not? I mean, you don't need to exactly ride in one of his pokeballs. I can teleport you in and out when you want too. Ed, are you Ok with this?"_

 _I held out my hand, "Sure! Say, can you use standard pokemon language when I'm around other people?" "Sure! Pokelang is my first language!" the snivy giggled, putting her hand on mine, "I think everything will go just fin-" There was a soft cracking sound._

 _I blinked, realising I'd closed my hand around her smaller hand. And my power armour amplified my movements. I gave a short gasp, "Sorry, I think I accidentally-" "I've survived worse!" she blushed, her arm glowing, bones re-aligning. I smiled, "Heh. Auto-healing." " Hey, if I actually died, I'd be no use to Lady Reshiram. There was that time I was chopped in half. I honestly thought I was a goner. Hey, I'm all right now." "…BULLET TO THE FACE!" I yelled, firing my gun straight at her head._

 _She quickly side-stepped, gasping, "Please don't do that. I can heal, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt…" I holstered my gun, nodding, "Sorry!"_

 _A few awkward seconds later, a portal opened up nearby. Reshiram looked pleased with herself, " Next stop; Route 4! I told Red to travel there while you two were… doing small talk. White, Black, N, are you ready?"_

 _"_ _So… You're on our side now? And all he had to do was talk to you? Man, everything's changed. Now I'll need a new Wii too." Black muttered, shaking his head, "Least I have a glorious piece of facial hair now. Now I can do all the cool stuff people with beards can do, like-" White turned to Reshiram, "Can I wish for a shaver now?" The small device appeared in her hands, as she approached Black._

 _Black sweatdropped, "Ah, no. You wouldn't dare."_

 _White put on a pair of shades, flicking the shaver on. She gave a grim smile, "Was that a challenge?"_

 _"_ _Crud, you would."_

 _N and I wisely turned away, as White promptly attacked Black with her shaver, Black screaming madly,_ _ **" MY MANLINESS! NOES! NOT THE FACE!"**_

 _White got off Black, as Black sat up, looking more like himself from 4 years ago. White nodded, "Let's go." She skipped into the portal, Black following glumly behind. N approached the portal, shaking his head. I recalled my pokemon, as Luc stepped into the portal, Rilo on his shoulder._

 _Finally, Leafer hopped on my shoulder, "Sorry to keep you waiting! Let's go!" "Good luck!" Reshiram called, "I have a feeling we'll meet again…"_

 _I stepped into the portal, levitating into the air…_

 _"_ _I'm finished!"_

* * *

[Route 4, Unova]

Rakutsu sighed again, sitting on the bench, "Man… I can't just return to HQ like this… White's dead, and it's my fault."

 ** _"_** ** _Or is it?"_**

He looked beside him, and saw a young girl. She was wearing an orange mini skirt and a blue jacket with a lavender shirt. On her right ear was a headset, and around her waist was a white bag. Her short brown hair blew in the wind. She turned to face the cop, "Well, this is a little sudden… I'm **Lan**. Lan Hijiri. And, well... I couldn't help but notice your current situation. Maybe I can help." "Sorry, but you wouldn't understand. It's an adult thing, kid."

Lan stood up, "Perhaps… But just saying… Taking the blame for something and beating yourself up are two very different things." Rakutsu shook his head, "Yeah… But maybe I'm not cut out to be a cop…" "Seriously? Ok, how about you ask… that girl over there, the one holding a random shaver with a shotgun on her back coming out of that random portal?"

Rakutsu perked up, " **That's White! Hurray, my job is saved! Wait… Is that N?! I MUST TAKE HIM OUT ASAP! FOR ALTEA, AND FOR THE FIRE EMBLEM!"**

He ran off, leaving Lan behind in a cloud of dust. Lan coughed, "You're welcome! Geez, people these days…" Her headset vibrated, "Huh? New text message?"

The Battle AR activated, projecting a light blue hologram before her eyes…

* * *

 _"_ _FREEZE! I am Unit BLACK 2, and I arrest you for kidnapping White!"_

I raised a hand, "There must be some mistake." "OH, I SEE? YOU FEELING LUCKY, PUNK? FINE! LET'S DO THIS!"

He slid backwards. I turned to White, "Get back. I got this." "Are you sure?"

I took 5 steps backwards. We reached for our guns, holstered in our hip holsters. The random civilians standing around outside dashed into their houses, locking their doors and closing their blinds. The hot sun glared down on us. I could feel a hot desert wind blowing. Black 2 stretched his fingers, his hand over his holster. A bead of sweat ran down my brow. I reached for my gun, as tumbleweed blew past…

 _They say he appeared in the main street, pistols by his side. Now, the fate I would decide... Who will walk away alive?_

 **Draw.**

I raised my gun, firing three shots at my enemy. He fired back with his own pistol. Finally, one of my bullets hit their mark; on his gun. The weapon flew out of his hands, onto the sandy ground.

I spun my pistol, replacing it in my holster, " _Guess I was lucky."_ He looked up, surprised, "How did you…?" "Simple. I used the laser sight." I replied, walking up to him and removing my helmet, "Say… _You look an awful lot like Black…_ "

The cop shrugged, "Well, I guess you probably aren't going to fight me now. Sorry, I've had a bad day. Thank you so much for saving my job!" Black approached him, "Wait, _you're me._ " Black 2 gasped, "Sempai… I never thought I'd meet… You…"

"The name's **Rakutsu** , but most people call me **Black 2**. You're…" "Black. The original Black. Man, and I thought everyone forgot about me." Black said, shaking his hand. White smiled, "He's my bodyguard, ever since Ghetsis turned evil." "He always was evil. We just didn't notice it." Black muttered, folding his arms, "This was his fault. I knew it!" "Well… I certainly didn't." N muttered, shaking Black's hand, "I apologise for hating you. I apologise for my anger. I forgive you everything." Black smiled, patting his back, "Eh… I knew one day, you'd pull through."

Snivy drove up, the van skidding to a stop. Red climbed out, "Trainer Black…" Black turned to face Red, "Who are ya, kid?"

"I'm older than you. I'm 20." Red explained, "I'm just a little shorter, that's all. Say… You remind me of _my father…_ " I blinked, turning to Charizard, "Red's… _father?_ "

Black scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Whatever. Who are you?"

 _"_ _Red. Red from Kanto."_

Black's eyes lit up, " **RED?! You're a legend!** You took out a whole terrorist team then you did some stuff with the ice-" "Yeah. But that's not why I came here." he looked up, pointing straight at Black, a smile on his face, "I want YOU." "Let me guess… You want me to join your team?" the Unovan hero asked. Red looked surprised, " _How did you know?!_ "

"Look, Red. It's kinda obvious. _Well, I've spent the last 4 years in a white void. I missed out on all kinds of conflicts. People who needed me to kick their arses and beat. People who tried to take over the world while I was gone… People who were rolling tanks into my home! I missed people who couldn't fight for themselves, people who were oppressed, grannies needing that random young man to help them cross the road! It is my duty, as a Trainer, a Pokedex user, and a Human being to serve this country! AND I SHALL MAKE THIS NATION GREAT AGAIN, DAMMIT! THIS NATION NEEDS ME! THIS NATION NEEDS_ _ **BLACK HERBERT TRUMP**_ _!" Black declared, White holding a random Unovan flag behind him for emphasis as a Braviary flew overhead._

We stared at him, before Squirtle quickly commented, " Your last name… is **_TRUMP_** _?_ " **"I HAVE NO REGRETS!"** Black declared, "Except my last name. It's a little embarrassing. Joining the Dexers, though…. I'd be honoured." Black smiled, "White, you coming?"

"You know I'm behind what you do. I'm not afraid to…"

I groaned, foreseeing another long, dramatic speech, "This will take a while…"

* * *

 _1 overly dramatic scene later…_

 _"_ _I'LL MAKE IT WITH YOU HERE NEXT TO ME! I PROMISE!_ _ **BELIEVE IT!**_ _OR MY NAME IS NOT_ _ **WHITE HILDA CENA**_ _!"_

I blinked, "Your last name… is **_CENA_** _?!"_

 **"** **NO REGRETS!"** she smiled, "Anyway, you're the boss, Black. Let's do this together." Red smiled, "Wonderful! Please come aside for a sec. I need to register you guys and rig up the OS." "Okay then."

They vanished around a corner, as you do.

Black 2 shrugged, "I'm going with them too." And he, too, vanished around the corner.

I turned to N, "I still don't trust you." N nodded, "Very well. But I have a certain underling who might be right up your street." He handed me a small photograph of a girl with two ponytails and a white cap, "This is **Fiatsu**. **White 2.** She is a highly skilled fighter, though these days, she's a sniper." I scanned the photo, "Hmm… Perhaps…" "I believe her skills will be of use to you. However… Seeing as you have Black 2, she might have a few problems. Namely, Black 2 harbouring a ridiculous crush on her." I shrugged, "Some people… It's like a cheesy sitcom on Pokeflix." N shrugged, "You can think of it that way, Ed."

Yellow leaned over my shoulder, looking at the photograph, "Hey… Didn't she try to sneak up on us earlier?" I looked at her, "She WHAT?!" 'It was epic. Snivy saved me from a sniper round, then he fought her with his bare fists. We tied her up in the back of the van." N shook his head, "I told her not to open fire." "Hey, to be fair, Snivy shot first." Yellow shrugged, "It was almost like _she had done something unforgivable to him…_ He was so heartless, all of a sudden."

 **"** **You wanna make something of it?"**

I turned around, coming face-to-face with the mercenary, "Uh… No." He leaned closer to me, possibly glaring at me under his helmet, " _…"_

Oh, Arceus. I'm going to need some new pants now.

Snivy back to the van, then came back out holding **White 2** , "Here she is." He dumped her on the ground, folding his arms.

The sniper got up, "Dammit… _So, this must be the part where you shoot me through the head._ " I shook my head, "Nope. The name's Ed. Fiatsu, would you like to join the-" "…Eh, I honestly don't care anymore. Can you please tell whoever the hell that guy is to stop aiming his gun at me?!"

Snivy lowered his pistol, "Plasma scum." I glared at him, "Darn it. You need to drop the military persona, S." "I'll drop it when we've won." he muttered, walking off.

White 2 got up, "Sorry about the whole sniper shot. I thought the operation was to kill Red." "No. You need to listen more carefully to the objective." N said sternly, "The enemy of my enemy is now my ally. Now, accompany me to the rendezvous point. We shall plan our next attack there. For now, our job is done." "Understood, Lord N." she saluted.

He saluted Red, "Farewell, Dexholders. I'm sure we'll meet many more times." I winked, " _And there's not a thing you can do about it!_ "

* * *

White 2 turned to me, "One second, Lord N. I need to tell Ed something." I shook my head, "Wow. And I thought I would never see the day I would attract women to me." She shot me a glare, pulling me aside, "Dirty minded Orran. Now, what I'm telling you is really what happened. Seeing how much time you spend with Snivy, this may prove important; Ed, _he's not what he seems._ "

I stared at the girl, confused. I'd spent two days with this mystery man, and all of a sudden, this Team Plasma Grunt tells me he isn't what he seems like? That's like explaining water is wet to me… But then again… I do need more information on Snivy… Whoever… or Whatever… 'he' was… _I still trusted him._ And nothing in the world could change that. Nothing anyone would say, or anything that happened.

 _I only hope he trusted me, too._

"Tell me more." I said, removing my helmet. Fiatsu nodded, "Now, I lie every now and again to cover up my tracks, but I swear to all the legendaries, I saw Snivy's face. _He's…I mean… He's a she! Snivy's a female!_ "

*Dun Dun _DUUUUNNN!_ *

I shook my head, "No way. Well… You were mistaken, right?" "Possibly. It was quite dark, and he did knock me out. I still haven't gotten all my marbles collected quite yet, but I could've sworn I saw a girl's face through my scope. I could tell by the hair and eyes… Then again…" "Well, that's not really telling much. Some males do have long hair." "True, true. But his features… Blue eyes, and brown hair tied up in a ponytail. I can speculate that she was a female… Then again, my thoughts are all in a fuzzy pickle right now. But I did remember one thing…"

 _"_ _She was crying. Crying about her loneliness."_

Fiatsu turned away, "Then… Nothing. I can't remember anything else." I nodded, "Thank you for telling me. But all it gives me is more questions. Why would she hide her face? What is her true name? Is she on my side?"

We stared at Snivy for a few seconds. The man of mystery was leaning on a pole, sighing. He (?) turned to look at us, the sun reflecting off his golden visor. I stared back, imagining a girl's face looking at me, covered in scars from previous jobs, her blue eyes staring into mine hopefully, tears streaming out. I shook my head. Impossible.

 _"_ _Who are you, and what do you want?" I whispered, my eyes meeting hers. She probably smirked under her helmet, "That's for me to know, and you to find out, Ed."_

Fiatsu shrugged, "That's all I know. Keep me posted if you find out more, Ed. Good luck." I gave a polite bow, "You too. May Arceus be with you."

I turned to leave, but before I did so, I stopped to hug her. Fiatsu blushed, "What the-" "Sorry, just popped into my mind." I laughed awkwardly, "Sorry. I'll have to see my shrink about that." She smirked, " _Dirty minded Orran_. Well, I'd be off now. _The sky calls._ "

She walked off with a final salute, her twin ponytails blowing in the wind… Soon, both N and Fiatsu vanished into the sunset, and just like that, they were gone…

Black 2 jogged up, "Hey, was Fiatsu here?" I shook my head, "You must've been seeing things." He shrugged, "Figures. I've been having a bad day. Maybe I was imagining her…" "She doesn't love you, y'know…" I muttered.

"I dunno. Hey, since I'm a member of your awesome team of awesome sauce, can you do me a favour?" Black asked, walking around the corner smiling, **"I have one more place to go to…"**

I smiled, "I think I know where…"

* * *

[Nuevema Town, Unova]

 _"_ _May he forever be with us."_

The crowd was silent, standing around the monument of Black. It was essentially a giant statue of him during the 'Golden age'. The main professor making the speech was **Professor Juniper,** the Unovan pokedex creator.

She looked up, silently addressing the crowd, "Black… I never even got to give him this final gift… The official Pokedex… May he accept his gift in his death… or whatever world he's ended up in-"

 **"** **That was some sleep!"**

The crowd looked up, realizing there was someone sleeping on top of the sculpture. The figure stood up, stretching, "Say, how long was I asleep for, four years? Man, that was such a weird dream."

Black faced the crowd, "So, what'd I miss?"

 **"** **WHAT?!"**

[Gyrados, Nimbasa City]

* * *

 _And so…_

I walked into the ship, waving to White, "See you next time we come here!" She smiled, "You'll always be welcome! Don't forget to buy White .C.O Products! We are also still making Pokelife 3, so please look out for that soon!" Black stared at her, "It still hasn't come out?" "…"

Red nodded, "7 years worth the wait. I loved Pokelife 2, and the spin off 'Gmon' wasn't too bad."

Yellow waved from the bridge, "Unova Pokedex data loaded! Red, let's move out to Kalos!" Red saluted, "Let's move out! Raise anchor!" I stared at him as if he was crazy.

 **Kalos was at war.** We couldn't risk dying out there. Sure, the **K1S3K1** squad, one of the main defence forces in the Luminose Badlands, was holding **Team Flare** off, but… It was too risky. We couldn't travel that far… That meant a small overland trip through enemy territory, or a skydive into the desert itself. We were unprepared for this. We were unprepared for anything. It was _suicide_.

" _That… THAT'S SUICIDE!"_ I gasped, "Do you have a way in? A defence team? An RPG? Anything we could use to defend ourselves? They have an army!" The invincible trainer laughed, **"We have a Snivy."**

Snivy walked up, his Charmander sitting on his shoulder. His armour now shone in the sunlight, an assault rifle on his back. He gave a crisp salute, "Red, all my gear and provisions have been loaded onboard. Can we move out?" "Yeah! Let the plot progress- Hold on a sec."

Red pulled me aside, "Ed, he'll be sleeping in the same bed as you." "Sure. Let's go with that- Wait, **WHAT?!** " I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air, "RED! You realise he's… _probably a guy, right?_ " "Sorry. We don't have enough beds." Red explained, "Erm… The other bedrooms are for guests only." "Doesn't he count as a guest?" I asked, tapping my foot. "Well, uh… I…Um… Look, the only room not used for storage is **room 13** , and… a _different_ … if you will… _person_ lives in there…Uh… you probably shouldn't poke around in there. But of you do… It's your funeral." Red explained nervously, shaking, "Actually, tell you what. If you and Snivy stay in the same room, I'll invite you both to tomorrow's monthly **Pokestrike: Global Link Offensive** match! All kinds of Dexholders all across the world will be playing, and we have voice chat! So…"

I stared at Snivy. He laughed nervously, "Eh… Sure. My PS:GLO skills may not be so rusty. I'll set up my PC in your room, Ed." I shrugged, "Fine. But… do you keep your armour on when you sleep?" "Pretty much. I'm still straight, y'know." he replied, poking his Charmander, "So… Shall we?"

I smiled, "Does Sapphire enjoy doing business in the woods?"

"Um… What?"

Everyone stared at me. I laughed nervously, "Yes… I think…"

 **"** **Riiiggghhht…"**

* * *

 **[REGION COMPLETE!]**

 **[Saving game…]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

 _[Pallet town, Kanto]_

 _Hiya! My name is **Leaf G.B. Anderson.**_

 _Most people call me **Leaf** , though. Nice to meet you!_

 _I am 13 years old, and I live in Pallet town. My mom's a scientist, while my dad's head of the police force in Celadon City. I've lived my whole life in Pallet Town, but I knew, ever since I was a cute little girl, I wanted to travel. I wanted to see the world! I'm no ordinary trainer, either. I wanna beat the Kanto league!_

 _…_ _That's asking a little much, but still. I will beat the League!_

 _But today is a very special day. An incredibly special day. The most important day in my life!_

 _Today, I become a POKEMON TRAINER!_

* * *

 _Zzz…_

 _Zzz…_

 _"_ _Leaf…"_

 _Zzz…_

 _"_ _Leaf Anderson…"_

 _ZZZZZZ…._

 ** _"_** ** _LEAF!"_**

I sat bolt upright in bed, yawning, "Darn it, mom… I'm trying to sleep…" "Do you want to wait a whole year to get your starter?" Mum called back from downstairs.

Well, NO.

I jumped out of bed, gasping, "Sweet Arceus, no! Wait…It's still 7:00. Phew. That gives me one hour to get ready."

One hour early! What a deviation from an obvious cliché! HUZZAH!

"…Did you remember to put it forward one hour? Daylight savings time, Leaf!"

Now I'm one hour _late_.

 **"** **CURSE MY LAZINESS!"** I yelled, grabbing my clothes off the floor. Luckily, I remembered to pack my bag the night before. Did I mention I spent the whole night working on my blog? I was telling my best friend, Lan, how awesome this all was. Tangent aside…

I kicked the door open, my brown hair getting in my face. I tripped over the top step and fell down the stairs, slamming my face on each step as I fell. Finally, I slammed into the wall at the bottom, my bag landing on top of me.

"Leaf! Are you Ok?"

I groaned, "…Fruit tingles…" My mother walked over, "Silly Leaf! Now, hurry up to Oak's lab. Don't forget to take your birthday present!" I nodded, "Ok! Wait, dad sent me a present?!" My mother nodded, pulling out a small box, "Look!" I tore off the wrapping, revealing…

 **A purple VS SEEKER! WITH HOLOGRAM PROJECTION!**

I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. It was beautiful. Never mind the fact I couldn't figure out how to use it, I had my first handheld hologram device! It could project holograms, make phone calls, play Mp3 files, challenge other people (of course), and it had **Poogle Play! FREAKING POOGLE PLAY!**

 **LAN WOULD BE SOOO JELLY!**

"THANK YOU! I LOVE IT! SUCK IT, LAN! MUHAHAHAHAHA!" I yelled to the sky happily, "Wait, mom, did my other present arrive yet?" She smiled, "Look outside."

I ran outside, and a shiny red bicycle was leaning against a wall. I approached it, touching the handle bar, "Finally…" "It just came in from Hoenn. Your new A.C.R.O. Bike! It also fits in a pokeball, meaning you can carry it with you everywhere you go. How convenient!" mom explained, "Anyway, Leaf… Good luck, honey!" I hugged my mother once more, "I will! Thank you so much! I can't wait to tell Lan!"

I gave a final wave, before riding out on my bike. Nothing could ruin this perfect day.

 _"_ _This is the best day EVER!"_

* * *

I rode through the town on the bike, the small electric engine whirring. The sun shone down on my back, the wind blowing in my hair as I rode along. I sped past the familiar sights; the small pokemon centre, Red's house, Blue's house, Green's house, and that random house on the hill. There was a little bit of a history to that last house, actually. My parents told me never to go into that house, as a weird guy with a shotgun lived in there alone. But now I was no longer a defenceless young girl. I was now a trainer. I smiled, my performing several small bunny-hops on my bike.

This was it! The day I've been looking forward for my whole life! **THE DAY LEAF G.B. ANDERSON TAKES ON THE WORLD!**

A random stick stuck out in my way, tripping me over into the fountain in the town square.

I spat out some water, "Ok, who ruined my moment? THAT WAS MY TIME!" A boy in a black shirt with a red stripe running across his chest walked in front of me, "Heh. Looks like your hopes of getting a starter have gone _down the drain_! Ha! See what I did there?!"

And there goes my perfect day.

* * *

I rolled my eyes, " **Ben.** " I grumbled, climbing out of the fountain, "You son of a-" "Well, at least I have a starter, _Leaf ASSderson!"_

The moron making the stupid remarks is **Ben Fruy** , AKA my childhood rival… He could never keep that big mouth of his shut. Sadly, the one on the business end of his foul mouth was me… And he had good reason to gloat. He started his journey last year, and he was a lot older than me. He was a lot better than me. But he just did everything in his power to screw me over. I don't even know why. He's just… a **DICKHEAD!**

I shivered, wringing out my hat, "P…Pick on someone your own size!" He laughed, flicking my ear, "Leaf, I look around, and there is nobody my own size to pick on! So, I choose the biggest moron in Pallet Town, and build off that! Simple!" I shook water out of my bag, "Yeah, because nobody else here is a bigger asshole than you."

Burn.

He glared at me, "You think you're so funny, but it's already half an hour since the lab closed. You don't get a starter until your next birthday! Smell ya next year, butthole!" He ran off, laughing to himself.

I groaned, checking my watch. He was right. The lab had closed 30 minutes earlier. I looked up at the sky, fuming, before giving an enraged cry.

 **"** **Come back here, you!"**

Suddenly, a green blur ran into my arms, knocking me into the fountain screaming. I spat out water again, "Is this going to keep happening?!" However, this time, a small burst of water squirted back in my face.

I looked down at my arms, realising there was a whimpering pokemon curled up in my arms. It was a light-green colour, with a prominent red bulb on its back; A Bulbasaur. It also had a small red tag tied around its front left leg.

I climbed out of the fountain _again_ , placing the small pokemon before me, "Hey little guy." It gave a soft growl, a red eye looking at me. I shrugged, "Sorry, Girl. Where did you come from?" She uncurled, blushing, "Bulba." I checked the tag, "Hmm… Pallet Town Pokemon Lab, Subject #001: Bulbasaur." Then I noticed, written in a sharpie underneath the printed text, "Give to _Leaf G.B.A_ as her _Starter_."

 **This little guy was my starter.**

I smiled, picking it up, "Hey… Were you running out here by yourself to find me?" It nodded, smirking, "Bulbasaur."

 **"** **NOW HOLD ON A DARN SECOND!"**

A girl with brown hair and a white lab coat ran up, gasping, "Dammit… Stop… Running around… I'm trying my hardest to… give you to somebody…" I raised an eyebrow, "Uh… Hi? I'm Leaf G.B.A-"

She looked up tiredly, "Oh, great… That's just… I'm **Daisy. Daisy Oak.** " "Leaf Anderson." I said, helping her up, "So… has it been a little hard trying to rein this one in?" She stared at me, her face covered in mud and scratches, "You don't say! Anyway, here's her ball, Leaf. Knock yourself out. Now, I gotta hurry back. **Ash** is coming over _AGAIN_ , and I need to _fake seduce_ him again."

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, _fake seduce him?_ " "Yeah, long story. He also thinks my name is _May_ , oddly enough. Weird fellow. After that, **Shigeru** and **Satoshi** are making another trip home from… Wherever in the world they got to, and they always head to my house first." she sighed, leaning against a wall, "Just another busy day in the life of Daisy Oak. Well, go get them, Green!"

"I'm Leaf." "Sorry, you just reminded me of Green. Same clothing. You a fan?" "Yeah… Sort of."

* * *

Wait, what? That last part wasn't part of the main story... was it?

...

Strange things do happen.

And who is this 'Lan' person who keeps popping up?

Could she be a vital role?

...

Oh yeah, there were way too many references in this chapter, including a guest appearance by a certain Chuck Norris... Also, several nods to my favorite web comic of all time, Axe Cop.

Guys, I'm going to get serious with you here; who actually reads my fanfic and likes it? Uh... Well, I've noticed my last three chapters have been quite serious, what with all the guns and stuff. I'm sorry if I got anything wrong with the timeline, or screwed up events, or swore too much. I promise to try to make this story a little better. Anyway, I'm just beginning my story. Not to mention the possible side stories I'm planning...

Keep reading. I'll try to keep it a little lighter... For all of us.

* * *

Oh, and spoiler for the next arc:

It's a little **MEGA**. **MAN** , I wonder how **X** is doing out there in **KALOS?**

I have **ZERO** ideas. Well, that's all for now. I just need a few weeks more to **BUSTER** it all out. Don't ask me **Y**.

* * *

Ok, that's way too many spoilers.

 _Smell ya'll later!_

Ed out. *Salutes*


	4. Chapter 4: PS:Global Link Offensive

Well, here's the first filler chapter.

I apologize if it seems a little rushed. There are exams coming up, and I just don't have the time to churn out these chapters anymore. Still, keep reading. Even if this fic is still lying in some forgotten corner of Fanfic .com, I know that one day, it will eventually find somebody out there who likes this sort of shit. Believe it.

...Ok, maybe I should stop with the memes...

Sue me, why don't you?

* * *

 **Chapter 4: PokeStrike: Global Link Offensive.**

* * *

 **Initializing Resources…**

 **Finding server…**

 **Server Found.**

* * *

 ** _The Gyrados_**

 _Casual_

 _Gyrados-Filler-Chapter._

 _Red team: Prove you're better than Red in a deathmatch, despite overwhelming odds._

 _Blue team: Beat Ed (Red team) at all costs._

 _Match starting in 3…2….1…_

 _(i)- The first Dexholder was possibly Red, but that's debatable._

* * *

 **Logging in…**

 **Loading…**

* * *

[The Gyrados, South Iwata Sea]

I clicked on the icon on my screen, watching the small loading bar progress. The lime loading bar seemed to be taking forever to reach the end, but was slowly making its way.

 **"** **Still think we can win this?"**

I looked over my shoulder, and saw Snivy sitting on the small table next to me. I nodded, putting on my headset, "Snivy, what's the worst that could happen?" He stared at me, his golden visor burning into me, "Sleeping next to you." I shivered, "…That."

* * *

 _Last night…_

 _"_ _ZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz…"_

 _Snivy groaned, putting a pillow over his head. His (?) helmet was off, his brown hair covering his eyes._

 _"…_ _Please, for the love of Arceus, shut up…"_

 _I did not._

 _"…_ _Charmander, do me a favour and shoot me with the tranquilizer." he muttered, turning to his Charmander. She gave a short yawn, shaking herself out of sleep, reaching for the gun, slowly and painfully taking aim, and firing at his back._

 _Snivy tensed for a second, before falling off the bed onto the floor, unconscious, "Thanks."_

* * *

"I woke up with Squirtle on my face." "Sorry." I muttered, as the game started…

* * *

 **[PS:GLO]**

 **[BATTLE START!]**

We spawned in a jungle, armed with our load outs. I checked my weapons; a sniper rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. Snivy turned to face me, "Shall we get moving?" I nodded slowly, "I guess- WHAT THE HECK?!"

Snivy had a female character, and his gamertag read 'K8'; **_Kate_** **.**

"…What?" he asked, glaring at me. "Why are you… A female?" I asked slowly, trying not to insult him/her/it. He glared at me, "Wanna make something of it? Can't a guy have a secret identity?" I blushed, "Right. Sure."

 _'_ _He's right, though…' Snivy smiled under his helmet, 'Kate is a secret identity… but more than he knows…'_

 _He cracked his fists, before continuing to play._

"It's just a nickname. For example, you aren't called ' **xX_SSBB_TRIPL3_F1N12H_Xx** ' in real life, right? What does SSBB even stand for?" " _Super Smash Bros Brawl._ It's one of my favourite games." I replied, "Reasons." His voice suddenly became a little softer, "Really? _It's my favourite too…_ **EYES UP!** "

8 players jumped down from the cliffs above us. I gasped, " _It's them!_ "

xX_M41N_M4N_Xx (Red) walked up to me, "Glad to see you made it." I looked at the team. There were two people holding miniguns, a sniper, three people holding assault rifles, and a single boy wielding a shotgun. xX_V1R1D14N_T3RR0R_Xx (Yellow) smirked, "Not that you'll last long. Alright everyone, turn on your face cams!" I smiled, "Kickass."

* * *

 _Their gamertags, identities and weapons were as follows:_

 **Xx_0M3G4_xX – Ruby (Hoenn): Shotgun**

 **Xx_41PH4_xX – Sapphire (Hoenn): Minigun**

 **xX_H34RT_BURN_Xx - Gold (Johto): Minigun**

 **xX_S0UL_SL4Y3R_Xx – Silver (Johto): Sniper**

 **xX_J4P_BLU3_Xx – Green (Kanto): Assault Rifle**

 **xX_J4P_GR33N_Xx – Blue (Kanto): Assault Rifle**

* * *

I smiled, "Wow. It's like all my dreams come true." Sapphire smiled, "So, you're the new guy?" I nodded, "Yeah. You must be Sapph. I've heard so much about you. Like that time Zinnia threw you off the rocket in Moss-" "Don't remind me." she grumbled, "I'm so going to kill you, and your girlfriend."

Snivy glared at her, "One second."

* * *

He left his pc, and pulled me off mine, _"Keep them distracted for the next few minutes. I have a secret plan." I nodded, "We need to tip the scales. What's your-" "I have contacts with another guy who could help us. But… He'll take a while to arrive." I nodded, "I trust you… I hope."_

* * *

 _We fistbumped, before sitting back at our PCs._

I nodded, "Sorry. So, you're all here…" Gold smirked, "So, think you can handle all of us at once?" Silver and Blue silently nodded.

I grimaced, checking the team list. Only Snivy and I were on Red team so far. Blue team was the other 8…

 _'_ _Outnumbered and outgunned. Whoever Snivy's calling in needs to be strong.'_ I thought to myself.

"Please! We're Orrans! We come from a region that is constantly at odds with itself! Course we can handle it!"

 _A figure in blue spawned in. He surveyed the landscape. A small grin crossed his face, "Wonderful…"_

Ruby laughed, "Well, even I think we can take you out, and that's saying something!"

 _A girl wearing white spawned next to the boy, "So… What's the plan?"_

"Hey, did anybody hear anything?" Green asked, looking around, "I think someone joined the server…" "Green, calm down. Even if they did, we would be fine. I mean, c'mon, it's only 3 to 8!" Red laughed, "Right, Ed?"

I nodded back, "Yeah. Y'know, you all taught me important lessons…"

* * *

 _"_ _Ruby and Sapph, you taught me love can happen anywhere."_

 _Both of them blushed._

 _"_ _Red and Yellow, you taught me to never lose hope, as it is all we need to pull through."_

 _Red saluted, as Yellow beamed._

 _"_ _Gold, you taught me that, sometimes, a hero needs to be tricky to survive."_

 _Gold smirked._

 _"_ _Sliver, you reminded me that sometimes, a disaster can bring out the best in us."_

 _Silver let a small smile quickly pass._

 _"_ _Blue, you tell me that the road to victory is right ahead."_

 _Blue nodded, folding his arms._

 _"_ _Green, you remind me everything is done for a reason."_

 _Green laughed._

 _"_ _And to all of you, I say this…"_

 _A jeep sped through the woods, two people riding it._

 _I gave a small smile, malice in my eyes, "_ _ **Saya hanya gangguan.**_ _"_

Everyone stared at me for a second. Red raised an eyebrow, "Wait, what?" Ruby began checking Poogle Translate, "It's Orran. It means…"

 ** _"_** ** _I am just a distraction."_** I smiled.

Sapphire raised her minigun, "SHOOT HIM-"

She didn't get to finish that sentence, as at that moment, a jeep ploughed out of the woods, over the cliff, and landed on top of her.

[1-0]

One of the duo turned to face me, " **Kept you waiting, huh?** "

The jeep skidded around, slamming into Gold, Blue and Silver. Green ran at the jeep, assault rifle blazing, but the driver and passenger camly ejected, letting the skidding jeep plough into Yellow. The girl raised a pistol, firing 3 shots at Green, killing her.

[6-0]

Ruby ran up to me, terrified, "Don't shoot me! I'll kill Ed! I swear! I'll kill him!"

The boy in blue stared at him, calmly picking up a minigun from the ground. He opened fire, killing him instantly. Then, in a dark voice, he spoke.

 **"** **I believe you."**

[7-0]

The duo approached Red, who was gaping at the display of badassery committed before him, "That. Was. **Awesome.** "

The mysterious hero turned to face Red, **"I heard you were going to beat up two of my kind?"**

"Uh… Sort of?" Red laughed nervously.

 _"…_ _Run."_ the girl helpfully suggested.

Red nodded, eyes wide, "Oh **…shit.** "

The boy in blue ran at Red with a primal yell. Red let out a ridiculously high-pitched scream, attempting to run away.

Needless to say, he was unsuccessful.

The boy in blue fired his twin pistols at Red's face, before pulling out the minigun and firing it at point blank range at the Scarlet Trainer's chest. All was silent, as Red fell.

[8-0]

The boy in blue dusted his hands off, "Umbreon, fetch me some water." There was a slapping sound on the other end of the mic.

I turned to face the boy, "Who are you? X? Y? **You seem awfully familiar…** "

He laughed, "Hitting face cams!"

There was a boy with messy brown hair on the other end. He wore a dark-blue cloak, and had white facial markings. On top of his head was a plexiglass visor; an early version of what would later become the Battle AR. His right arm was covered by a rusty tool, which I instantly recognised as a 'Snag Arm'.

My mouth fell open. The Guardian of Orre himself was before me.

"W….W… **WES!** "

 **Wes (SNG3M_TR8R)** saluted, "That's my name. Don't wear it out, whoever you are." " 'pologies. I'm Ed. Trainer 'Iron' Ed. Man… You're awesome." I gasped, my fanboy senses going into overdrive. **THE GUY WHO SAVED ORRE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME IN MY FAVORITE FPS!**

He smiled, "Hey, Iron Guy! I think I remember hearing about you that one time. I was watching TV, when you came on. You were doing exactly what I would've done to beat the Kanto League! I was a fan of you as well!"

My mind spontaneously imploded infinity times. Not only was I talking to the living personification of the word Badass, he was a fan of me as well! Well, once.

"…I'm speechless." I stuttered, amazed. "I know. Not many people cared. But I did. You did well out there." Wes shook his head, "Anyway, that's beside the point here. Alright, Ed. Let's kick some ass!"

The girl walked up, switching on her own facecam, "I'm ready!" Wes smiled, "Calm down, **Rui (SHD0W_HUNT3R)**. We don't kill anybody yet."

An orange haired girl wearing a white jacket filled the screen. On her left shoulder there was an Espeon, its twin tipped tail silently swaying." I smiled, "Rui. Hey, is it just me, or do you look oddly familiar?" "…What?" "I imagine you wearing a yellow tank, red stripes… Sorry, never mind." I muttered, "Think it's just déjà vu." "Anyway, I've called for more backup. **Nia** , my cousin in Ferrum, is going to call in two of her friends. We've just got to hold these guys off until they connect."

Snivy nodded, "Thanks, Wes." "Anything for you, old friend." he replied, "Alright chums! Time's up, LET'S DO THIS!"

He stood up, running into the woods, " **WEEEEESSSSSS JEEEEEEENNNNKINNNNSSSSSS!** "

I smiled, "Hey, Snivy, how did you-" "I knew him since secondary school. We go way back." Snivy replied, "Ed, you handle Red. I'll take Sapphire."

I saluted, "Godspeed, Broforce."

* * *

 _Sapphire wandered the woods, her minigun raised, "Kill the Orrans… Kill the Orrans…"_

 _A grenade flew out of some nearby bushes. She fired her gun at the bushes, as the grenade exploded behind her._

 _"…_ _Missed. I need to raise my guard."_

 _"_ _GUARD THIS!"_

 _Suddenly, Snivy sped out of the bushes on a motorbike. She ejected, the bike flipping at Sapphire. The Hoenn trainer dodged, "Do you honestly think I'll fall for that again,_ _ **sissy**_ _?!"_

 _Snivy's eyes narrowed, "You…"_

 _He pulled out his own minigun, "Did not just…"_

 _He dodged gunfire, throwing grenades, "Call me…"_

 _He fired at Sapph wildly, climbing on his bike, "A_ _ **SISSY!**_ _"_

 _The two fought, as Snivy rapidly got the upper hand. He sped behind Sapph, firing his pistol at her. Sapphire didn't even have time to react with all the damage she was taking, "Nice try."_

 _She jumped into the trees, laughing, "Try to get me up here, Scru- Wait, what?"_

 _Snivy calmly pulled out an RPG, his face deadpan._

 _Sapphire blinked, her eyes wide, "…Mother."_

[9-0]

* * *

 _Silver dashed through the woods, "Alright. I just need a clean shot of one of those guys, and I'll be fine."_

 ** _"_** ** _HO-OH AKBAR- OW!"_**

 _He spun, calmly no-scoping Wes who was running up to him, "'Ho-oh is Great?' Really?"_

[9-1]

 _Silver resumed running, finding a tall cliff to hide on. He crouched down, raising his sniper rifle, "Alright. Now, I wait."_

 _Rui suddenly fell off from a cliff above him, zipping past his scope, "HIYA!"_

 _Silver fired at her rapidly, shooting her out of the air._

[9-2]

 _"_ _Got another one. This is almost too easy." Silver began, before noticing the dark shadow above him._

 _He looked up, just in time to spot the jeep falling off the cliff face onto him. Rui had simply driven the vehicle off the cliff and ejected, as so to smash the vehicle onto the sniper._

 _Silver groaned, "…FML."_

[10-2]

* * *

I swerved on my bike, slamming it into Blue's bike, "You fight hard." "Thanks. But this will be another victory for me!" he yelled, firing his assault rifle at me. I performed a wheelie, before speeding in, guns blazing, "Check that twice! I can handle you, **and** still have time to finish this roast Torchic!"

 _I took another bite out of the random bucket of fast food.  
Least I had chicken._

He smirked, driving full ahead at me. I laughed, preparing for battle, "HAVE AT ME!"

The bikes collided in a massive explosion. Luckily, I had managed to eject in time. Unluckily, so did Blue.

He pulled out an energy sword, "Then, we shall fight."

I smiled, loading my shotgun. We ran at each other, Blue's perfectly timed attacks against my own, rough blasts.

 _And so we fought. The blasts and stabs rang through our headphones. Victory was at hand…_

 _But in the end… My cockiness overcame me._

 _Blue cornered me with his sword. I raised my shotgun, desperately attempting to fire it._

 _I was only met with a few hopeless clicks._

 _Blue raised his sword. I lifted my shotgun wearily, "… I'm going to kill you."_

 _"_ _I'd like to see you try."_

 _So…_

 _What they say is true._

 _Death does wear Blue._

 _He can't fall._

 _My heartbeats slow._

 _What I thought was a lie…_

 _Shots are heard._

 _Bullets scream death as they fly._

 _My moment has come…_

 _My snark means nothing if it's death that I'm running from…_

 **"…** **You gonna keep standing there parodying songs by 'The Megas', or are you going to look up?"**

[11-2]

I opened my eyes. There was a player on a jeep, holding a sniper rifle. He calmly turned to look at me, "Sorry, I mean… I don't know where to… I'm **Todd (xXSN4PPY_6420BLAZEITXx). Todd 'Snap' Cameron**." I gasped, "Todd?! You're here? You mean, the guy who made Zubatman V Squirtleman: Dawn of Johto?! The same guy who made 'Metal Gear Poke'?! THE **GENIUS** BEHIND **'SUPER PICHU BROS'?!** "

His face cam switched on, "Yeah… Not one of my more epic films, that… Honestly, I was quite proud of 'Metal Gear'. It reminded me of some Johto Anime…" He was wearing a red and black striped shirt, a headset resting on his brown hair.

"…What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you get-" "I'm living with Wes. No new jobs have come up so far, so I'm just sitting around back here." "… How did you come to end up living in Wes's house?" "Funny story, that. I might tell you sometime."

The cameraman raised his sniper rifle, "Sniping people is easy for me. I guess riding around in a jeep on that island improved my aim a bit."

I nodded, "I can imagine so. So…" "So, **let's bust some heads.** "

"THAT'S THE SPRIT!"

* * *

 _Gold watched from the trees, nervous, "Damn… More enemies… At this rate, they'll outnumber us."_

 _Red nodded, standing next to him, "Yellow and Green are manning two tanks. They should be attacking the rest of their team." Gold smirked, "Great. There's no human way they can escape that!"_

 _Little did Gold know how false his statement was…_

* * *

 _"_ _THERE'S NO HUMAN WAY WE CAN ESCAPE THIS!"_

 _Rui looked around desperately, twin pistols raised, "Snivy, what should we do?!"_

 _The mercenary grimaced under his helmet, "I…I don't know!" The two tanks rolled closer, cornering the two Orran girls. Green smiled, locking onto both, "Hello, cherubs. Auntie Green has a little present for you…"_

 _Snivy's mind raced, before a simple, crude plan formed in his head. A simple, but deadly efficient plan._

 _"…_ _Wait! I know a weapon we can use… It's a little…embarrassing, though." Snivy began nervously, "Rui, do you have some…" "Yes, I do! Fancy that!" she smiled, "I think I know the plan."_

 _Snivy nodded, "Then let's pull it off."_

 _The duo ran at the tanks, dodging gunfire, before running straight into the tanks. Needless to say, they died._

[11-4]

* * *

"That was their whole plan! Run at us and die!" Green laughed, reporting back to Red. Gold smirked, "That'll show them not to mess with the Dexforce!" The whole team of 8 nodded to each other.

Red turned to the others, "We may have won this battle, but the wars' far from over. Ed and his team are still out there." Ruby nodded, "And telling from Sapphire and Silver's deaths… not to mention how they killed all 8 of us at the start…"

From the bushes, our team of 5 camped. I nodded to Snivy, "Ready to pull phase 2 out?" "Gotcha. Let's do this shit." Todd raised his rifle, "So… do I take them out?"

I smiled, "No. Snivy and I… We have a plan. Wish us luck." Wes saluted, "Death over dishonour."

Both of us jumped out of the bushes and started… ** _dancing._**

To be honest, it was more of a slow couples dance. But it was a dance.

Red blinked, "Wait, **what?** "

 _But had we gone too far?_

No.

* * *

Snivy smirked, _starting to sing._

 _"_ _What a thrill…"_

Did I mention he was a great singer? Huh. Didn't notice that.

 **"** **SHOOT THEM! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"**

 _"_ _With darkness and silence through the night…"_

 **"** **HOW ARE THEY DODGING THE BULLETS?!"**

 _"_ _What a thrill…" I sung, joining in._

 **"** **DARN! GET TO THE TANKS!"**

 _"_ _I'm searching and melting into you…"_

We spun, guns blazing as we danced.

 _"_ _What a fear in my heart…"_

 **"** **I GOT A TANK! RELOADING NOW!"**

 **"** **HURRY! WE CAN'T BE BEATEN BY THESE IDIOTS!"**

 _"_ _But you're so supreme!"_

I turned to the guys in the bushes, "C'mon, join in!"

Wes smiled, **"Hell yeah."**

I think you might recognise the lyrics from somewhere.

 _"_ _I give my life!" Rui belted out, eyes shut, "Not for honour, but for you!"_

 _"_ _In my time, there'll be no one else!" Wes sang, somehow becoming a perfect soprano, "Crime, it's the way I fly to you!"_

 _"_ _I'm still in a dream!" Todd crooned, firing his gun at the sky._

Green rotated the tank's turret at us, "Say goodbye-wait, what's that?" It was then that she noticed the C4 on the turret. Her eyes widened, confused and shocked, before realising it must've been slapped on earlier when Snivy ran into the tank…

Rui was holding the detonator. And she just pressed it whispering, "Bird."

 **"** **SON OF A-"**

The tanks exploded, killing everyone in the nearby vicinity in a massive explosion.

 _It's called a_ _ **Secret Attack.**_

 _"_ _Snake Eater!"_

 _"…_ _I feel asleep…" Red groaned._

[19-9]

* * *

Sapphire respawned, burning with fury, " **I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD TEN TIMES OVER!"** She climbed on a nearby jeep, speeding off into the woodlands.

Snivy and I spawned next to each other. I stepped back, "That was nice. I didn't know you could sing that well." "Heh. Not many people know who I am."

I folded my arms, "You're a girl, right?" "No. Who told you that, White 2? She was just delirious. Remember, I just clobbered her incredibly hard over the head." Snivy muttered, "Anyway… What does it matter to you?"

I shook my head, "Well… I just want to know-" "Sorry. I don't think you're ready for me to show you." Snivy shot back.

 _Snivy shook his head, 'And neither am I.'_

 _A small tear rolled down his cheek._

* * *

Suddenly, a jeep sped off the cliffs, slamming into me.

I looked up _, "Ow."_

[19-10]

* * *

 _Sapphire ran at Snivy, "_ _ **ORRE SCUM!**_ _" Snivy coughed, "…Racist."_

 _The two of them circled each other, Snivy drawing his pistol. The duo circled each other, guns at the ready…_

* * *

[19-11]

 _"…_ _Must be getting rusty…"_

* * *

Wes skidded through the woods, "Ed, they only need 8 points to match us." "Humor them for a while. I have a plan." I replied, getting killed by Gold.

[19-12]

"Oh, what? Get killed by them repeatedly?" Rui yelled, "We can't hold out much longer! **_WHERE'S THAT BACKUP, NIA?!_** _"_

I shrugged, as a tank rolled over a hill, "Fight on, Orrans!"

* * *

 _Silver took aim at Wes, who was locked in a deathbattle against Green. His scope was steady, as he locked onto his head, "We can win this. We have an advantage of numbers."_ _He fired, taking out Wes._

[19-13]

 _The sniper reloaded his gun, taking aim once more. Suddenly, a new player appeared. She was in dark-blue, with short brown hair. Her gamertag read_ **L337_F1GHT3R** _._

 _"_ _Some sort of reinforcement. Might as well take her out." Silver shrugged, taking aim._

 _Suddenly, the new player spun around, pointing behind him. Silver blinked, turning around._

 _Right into the face of another boy in blue, this one with short brown hair as well. His gamertag simply read_ _ **R1DG3**_ _._

 _And he was holding a pistol to his chest._

 ** _"_** ** _Feeling lucky, punk?"_**

 _Silver smiled, "Clever guy."_

[20-13]

* * *

I fired my pistol at Green, who dodged the bullets. She swiftly drew her own assault rifle, firing a short burst at me. We ran at each other once more, our health low and hearts pounding. This was it. The part where we end this madness.

 _"_ _Need some help? I gotcha!"  
_ A girl in light-blue ran in, dual wielding two SMGs. She hopped behind Green, firing both. Green spun around, "Hey! That wasn't very-" "Nice? I apologise, but now, I need to shoot youse some more!" the mysterious blue blur giggled, guns blazing. Green pulled out an RPG, firing it at the girl. I ran forward to help, but the player gave me a wink, "I got this."

She vaulted over the rocket with a small grunt, as if it were nothing more than a skipping rope. Green blinked, "How can you react that quickly? Never mind! I still have the upper hand!" The dexholder froze, before falling to the ground, dead.

The mysterious player landed in front of her, "And she's back in the room!" She gave a short giggle, turning to look at me, "So, how did I do? I thought I was a little lacking…" My jaw dropped open, "How… That was… I have never seen someone that agile before in a video game." "What can I say? I guess the whole 'fighting all the Kanto Dexholders' feel is a real boost!" she smiled, switching on her face cam.

The girl was wearing a light-blue top, and a white headset. On her back was a yellow backpack. She gave me a shy wave, "Hi!" I nodded, "Who are you?"

 _"_ _My name is_ _ **Leaf**_ _ **(FRLG_L34F_GR33N)**_ _._ _ **Leaf G.B Anderson.**_ _But most people call me Leaf!"_ she smiled, "I'm really happy to be here! After my penpal, Lan, told me that all the dexholders were fighting on this server, I just had to come. She heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend, who heard it from her cousin, that you needed help out here! So here I am!"

I smiled, "So… Where's this 'Lan' person?" "Here!"

I turned around to face another girl, this one clad in dark blue. She switched on her face cam, revealing another female face with short brown hair, and- I recognised her in seconds.

My eyes widened, "Hey, you're that girl I gave 5000 PKD to in Unova!" "Wait, you're that miracle that gave me all that cash!" she gasped, "…Small world. Thanks a lot! My full name's **Lan Hijiri** , Pokken trainer."

Leaf raised an eyebrow, "Woah, Lan! Is that what you actually look like? You are tall!" Lan looked at Leaf, "And you are really quite short in real life, aren't you." "Yeah."

"…You two are penpals, but you've never seen each other's faces?" Snivy questioned, appearing out of nowhere. "Yeah, we mainly converse through PokèBook. We don't often SUGAR HONEY ICE BUT NO TEA, WHO THE HECK IS THAT?!" Leaf yelped, catching sight of Snivy's helmet.

"That's Snivy. He's…uh…" "I wear this helmet because I'm a mercenary, Ok?" he replied, "I prefer not to reveal my identity to others." Lan shook her head, "Like Yellow, right?" "Yes; except I can't tell if he's a guy or a girl." I sighed, "He never takes that helmet off, even when sleeping." "How can somebody live knowing they have no face?" Leaf asked, walking up to Snivy and staring into his visor, "How can you two live with each other, yet not know who the other guy is? That sounds like a nightmare…"

* * *

 _Snivy nodded slowly. He was amazed at the insight this young girl was able to give him, yet kept his composure to make an important decision._

 _'_ _I shall show him my true face… soon…'_

* * *

"…That's some question…" Snivy muttered.

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion, and a tank rolled out of the woods. I checked the kill feed.

[25-23]

I blinked, "How-" "Oh yeah, we managed to kill a few guys out there." a boy in blue yawned, climbing out of the tank. "Leaf, Ed, Snivy, This is my… Friend, **Tom Ridge.** Like me, he's a Pokken trainer." Lan explained, blushing. Tom, like Lan, had short brown hair, and wore a dark blue hoodie. He walked over to me, "Hey, you seem awfully familiar…" "I…I don't think we've met." I replied, "But seriously, your face looks... familiar as well. But I imagined it with no eyes…" "No eyes? But how am I supposed to see?" he asked, "That's a little weird."

"Wait, can I add you 3 to my friends list?" I asked, "We might run into each other again. And besides, you seem like pretty chill guys." "Ok, do that now." Lan nodded.

* * *

 _[Pallet Town, Kanto]_

 _Leaf leaned back in her chair, surveying her bedroom. This was the last time she would see it for a while. "I'll sure miss this place…" she whispered to herself. Suddenly, a green blur on her lap gave a soft whimper. She looked down, picking the Bulbasaur up, "Oh, Bulba! You hardly knew this place." The Bulbasaur shook her head, before pointing at Leaf, "Saur?"_

 _Leaf blinked, confused, "Uh…I'm sorry, can you… Wait, I think I understand. You still don't fully trust me, I understand… but you're only a starter. I can't expect for you to fight with me from the first time onwards, I mean,_ _ **the Pokeball isn't some kinda weird mental conditioning/brainwashing device!**_ _That would be weird._ _ **Kinda like if everyone was in a coma and dreaming all this.**_ _" Bulbasaur laughed, "Bulba!"_

 _"_ _Heh. That would be funny." she giggled, scratching the little Grass-Type under its chin, "Well, I'm not some kind of Ben, who pushes his pokemon to the limit. I promised to take care of you, as if you were a human companion. So…After this last match, shall we get moving out for honour, glory and for our dreams?" "BULBA!" the small companion cried, leaping into Leaf's arms._

 _"_ _You're so cute!"_

 _"…_ _Wait, when was the last time you took a bath?"_

 _"…_ _Bul?"_

 _"_ _Oh,_ ** _GROSS!_** _"_

* * *

I finished typing in their usernames and added the 7 members of my team to my friends list just as Wes, Rui and Todd showed up, "What's the plan?" I smiled, "I know the plan. Everyone, gather in a circle, and draw your strongest weapons. **Then, you can come out and circle us, Red.** "

Red emerged from the bushes angrily, " **DANG IT!** HOW DID YOU SEE ME?!" "Red, your gamertag was visible over your head. Just like…"

The rest of them emerged from the bushes. I cursed, "So, looks like we're cornered. Luckily, Wes, we have-" Wes's eyes widened, " _…Genius! Pure, 100% genius! Rui, Todd, did you think of that?!_ " Both shook their heads.

 _Red raised an eyebrow, "What is genius? Me attacking you from the bushes? I know. I played you right into my hands. You thought you were so tough, that you fell into obvious traps." Gold smiled evilly, "Yeah, like Big Red said over there. You fell right into our trap…" "Now, you're cornered! Out of tricks! Trapped! Ensnared!" Ruby (After plucking up the courage to yell) declared, "Now, we only need to kill you all, and we can win this battle!" "You were so easy to trick, Ed." Blue shook his head in disgust, "You were as easy to play as…" "As a really easy to play thing!" Green finished, "Kinda like a Wii, or maybe a Wii U (Provided game you're playing isn't Star Fox Zero.)" "That aside, I feel ready to take out all my anger on you lot." Sapphire rasped, raising a minigun. "…Hmph." Silver muttered._

 _Red pointed his gun at us, "So, where is your 'born at arms' now?!"_

In each region, every one of us jammed F2, capturing screenshots of Red's team to use as wallpaper.

I smiled, pulling a fork out of my pocket, "Here ya go, you guys." Red raised an eyebrow, "A fork? What's that for?"

 _"_ _When you eat that steaming hot slice of humble pie." Wes smiled._

 ** _"_** ** _And just what do you mean by that, mister- Hey, why is it so dark all of a sudden?"_**

* * *

 **[25+ KILL STREAK]**

 **[TACTICAL NUKE]**

* * *

Red's eyes widened, as he looked upwards, "Oh my god… Oh my god… OH MY FU-"

We rode away on our jeeps, shades donned, as the scenery exploded behind us, "Ooh, it's shiny."

We skidded to a stop, just as the game ended.

[ **33** -23]

* * *

 **[RED TEAM WIN]**

Wes turned to us one last time, "Good job out there, guys… We'll surely meet again." I smiled, "Honour working with ya out here today."

* * *

 **Logging out Steam…**

 **[Saving…]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

 _…_

 _…_

 _So…_

 _This is war._

 _That was the thought racing through the boy's mind, as he slowly marched down the hallway. He looked at his hands, covered in mud, sweat and tears._

 _He had a name, once. The world called him_ _ **Xavier.**_ _He remembered those days. Beating the League… Being a hero…_

 _Once, he was free. Once, Xavier Calem was happy._

 _Now…_

 _He was a shadow. He was no longer Xavier._

 _He was_ _ **X**_ _._

 _X kept walking through the hallway of the small resistance base, a new set of emotions bubbling up in him. Anger. Torment. Fury. Shadow._

 _He used to be Xavier. Now he's not even worthy of the title of 'X'._

 _He looked at his nametag. Now, it was his true name._

 _ **Zero.**_ _He wasn't human. He was Zero._

* * *

 _"_ _Snow, open up. I got news."_

 _"_ _Copy."_

 _"_ _So, what's the news, Zero?"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _Wait, where's Y?"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _She's gone?! CAPTURED?!"_

 _"…_ _I was too slow."_

 _"_ _Zero, there was nothing you could've done. I…I'm sorry."_

 _"_ _Commander Snow… We must get her back."_

 _"_ _Zero, our main target is the hostages in the power plant."_

 _"_ _I can't leave Y hanging. She's a…I just can't."_

 _"_ _Zero…"_

 _"…_ _I'm going for a walk."_

 _"…_ _X."_

 _ **"**_ _ **Don't call me X! X IS DEAD, DAMMIT! I AM NO LONGER X!"**_

 _ **"…"**_

 _ **"**_ _ **I am nothing but a shell."**_

* * *

[The Gyrados, South Iwata Sea]

Midnight.

I couldn't sleep.

Not as in, I wasn't tired. I was pooped. I rolled over in the bed, feeling Snivy's hard body armour against my skin. Silently, I roused myself from sleep and grabbed my flashlight. I was going to take a short stroll around the deck of the ship.

The cool night air blew across my body as I ghosted down the decks. It was eerie, almost dreamlike. The fog covered the research ship's hull, cutting through the waves like a knife. My brown hair blew back in the wind. Silently, the powerful engines rumbled, powering the cruiser onward. But something seemed off.

"What was that room Red told me that had that weird- ah, **Cabin 13**." I muttered to myself, a small smile coming across my face, "No point sitting around wondering what's in there."

 **"** **Didn't he tell you specifically not to go in there?"**

I gasped, spinning around, "HOLY- Oh, it's you. I forgot I left my translator on." Snivy's Charmander sat on my shoulder, sighing, "I never understand why people like you are always so eager to meet your demise." "Maybe it's because we are innately curious." Squirtle replied, walking up, " Or just really, really stupid." "Maybe a combination of both." I smiled, "Hey, you two couldn't sleep either, right? Then let's check out Cabin 13." "…Ed, you do know that rules are rules, right?" Charmander asked, folding her arms, "No means No. We can't go in there." Squirtle looked at her, " Tell me more how mercenaries like you follow the rules."

"I…Uh….Well…You win this round." she sighed, defeated, "I'm actually a little curious. What could possibly be living in there? Some kind of monster?" "Charmander, we're called pocket MONSTERS, but you are terrified of monsters?" Squirtle asked, following me as we headed to the basement. "Why are you only smart when it comes to degrading the point?" Charmander rolled her eyes, " Ugh."

I reached for the doorknob, but the door swung open by itself with a loud creaking sound. Charmander jumped back, into Squirtle's arms, "Shit!"

I smiled, "Sweet! Automatic doors!" " Ed, t..that clearly w…wasn't mechanical…" Charmander whimpered, "…Let's get outta here!" "Aw, c'mon! Where's your sense of- GAAAK!" I screamed, as a mysterious force held me against the wall, as a whit hand wrapped around my throat…

 _"…_ _Who are you?"_

 _"_ _ED! NO!"_

* * *

What will happen to our intrepid hero?

Who is that mysterious white hand?

What terror lies beneath Snivy's helmet?

...

...

Wait 5 weeks or so to find out in the next thrilling installment of **POKEMON: EXTENDED ADVENTURES!**

* * *

If you were wondering, the song sung in this chapter was the first few lines of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater.

Anyway, Lan and Tom were based off the female and male default characters in Pokken. Tom's name is actually based off a Youtuber called Tomska. The moment I set eyes on the guy, Tom immediately popped into my mind. Oh, and the part about him having no eyes is a nod to Eddsworld, another channel he managed for a while.

Anyway, the Kalos arc is coming. Brace yourselves.

...It might take a while, but stay tuned.

This is not the end.

...

Ed out.

 _*Teleports out*_


	5. Chapter 5: Mega Stone Zero- Day of Σ

**In the year 2016...**

 **I got Pokemon Y! Look out, Kalos! HERE I FREAKING COME!**

 ***Runs off, laughing maniacally***

Ed: *Sweatdrops* Looks like I'm doing the intro now... When we last left off, I was being strangled to death by a... hold up... Ah, here we go.*Opens script* Oh, okay. Well, this chapter was a real pain in the ass to write. In my opinion, it is not as good as some of the previous chapters, but hey, I was a little hard pressed for time. Anyway, the show's starting. Get yourself comfy in your little desk back there, because this chapter has it all; crossovers, more crappy references, nonsense, cheap robot fighting, and most importantly of all, Snivy's true Identity exposed at last!

... Ok, maybe it's not that important...

 **ROLL THE TAPE!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Mega Stone Zero- Day of Σ.**

* * *

 **[SAVE FILE CORRUPTED]**

 **[Do you wish to continue loading?]**

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 **[Game loaded successfully.]**

* * *

[The Gyrados, South Iwata Sea]

I groaned, slowly being choked to death by the white hand, "This…was…a…really…bad…idea…" _"Answer me. Who are you?"_ the dark figure said, tightening her grip. "Listen, it's kinda hard to speak if somebody is strangling you to death." I groaned. _"…Very well."_

She dropped me on the ground, _"Now, answer me; who are you?"_ "Ed. Trainer Ed." I replied, catching my breath. _"Good. Now, leave me, for I do not wish to be disturbed. Be grateful I did not tear you apart limb by limb."_ "No, I'm a dumbass, y'see." I explained, leaning on the wall, "So I ask you the same question; Who the heck are you and why are you on this ship?"  
 _"I shall not reveal my name, nor my face-"_ "I found the lights!"

The lights switched on, revealing a white humanoid figure wearing a brown cloak. She had a purple tail flowing out of the back of her cloak, and a pair of purple eyes stared at me out from the hood. She shook her head, "It appears my disguise has become ineffective."

"It's **Mewtwo**." I muttered, eyes wide, "You're THE Mewtwo. The one and only-" She stared at me, before smiling (Wait, what?) , "I am not that Mewtwo, the one who **Blaine** created. I am simply a clone of him. I am **Mewtwopointzerotwofive**."

Squirtle sized her up, " You're a girl?" "Yes. The female gender was a mistake on Red's part when he cloned me." she explained, "However, in version 2.025, I now have new programs labelled 'Conscience', 'Emotion', 'Happiness', 'Pacifist' in addition to 'Snark and humor' running within my neural processor... brain. I have yet to find out what these programs are designed to do." I looked around the room. It was practically empty, save for a shattered glass tank with some blue liquid flowing out.

"Ah, that was my holding tank. I only woke up after you left Unova." she said, reading my mind, "Also, what's all this about Deviantart-" "Uh, don't look through there!" I gasped, grabbing my head, "That's private! It really is!" "I understand. You must be looking at pictures to create pleasurable-" "DON'T SAY IT, 2.025!" I yelled, slapping the nuke.

"…I understand. I apologise if I was intrusive." she gasped, "Sorry." "Ok, I get the idea." I said, "Anyway, why are you living in here?" "I was to have been used should Red run into trouble." Mewtwo explained, "I was backup, essentially." "…But why stay in this room? Why not wander the ship freely?" "…I would've scared you off. Red didn't want that, as he required your help-"

I smiled, "C'mon. We should be fine. I mean, I'm here now, and I'm not scared." "Now, I need instruction." she said, "I am a living program. I require a goal to run towards." "You're a really bad clone of the original Mew, you know that?"

We both turned to look at Charmander, who had calmly pulled out a small knife and was filing her claws, " The original Mew was a free spirit. It flew everywhere, choosing to interfere in the lives of others for its own will. Why can't you do the same?" "I would be a troublemaker, then." " No, I'm not asking you to be a meddling trickster. I'm asking you to break from your programming. I'm asking you to do things you want to do, to aid others. To be moral. To do what's correct. That's what sets you apart from Mew. You shall fight to help humans."

"…" Mewtwo blinked, "I…I understand. _But what is truly 'correct'?_ " "Ah." Charmander smiled, a twinkle in her eye, " That's for Arceus to know, and you to find out."

I took her hand, "So, Mewtwo… Do you want to go outside?" "…Alright. I have nothing better to do here anyway. Ed, I still don't have a-" "Yes. For now, stick by Red and defend him." I said, "Understand?"

"…Yes."

 **"** **Attention all hands. Head to the front deck."**

* * *

 _"_ _All hands to front deck. I repeat, all hands to front deck."_

 _The words raced through Snivy's mind like they were swimming in syrup. Snivy groaned, picking up his helmet from his pillow, "Can't get a second's sleep out here… Son of a Bisharp."_

 _He slowly clunked out of bed, retrieving his pokemon to his balls. Well, almost all of them. Charmander was probably taking a walk outside, and would've made it to the front deck by now. He grabbed his bag and dashed out the door to a loud whirring sound._

 _He looked up, realizing there was a helicopter landing on the ship's helipad, normally reserved for a research helicopter. He slowly shook himself out of sleep again._

 _"…_ _What's going on?"_

Red saluted to me, "Ed, we are closing in on Kalosian shores." I nodded, watching Charizard and Ivysaur run up, still in their bedclothes, "Yeah. But two questions; what's that chopper for, and why have you been hiding a Mewtwo from me?" His eyes shrunk, "Uh… Yeah… Mewtwo's clone has been created, right? Well, I was going to use her as backup, but seeing how dangerous this next trick is… She needs to come too. How did you find-" "I went into Cabin 13." "Oh, ok- **Wait, WHAT?!** " he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air, " **After I specifically told you not to go in?!** "  
"Red, I was going to find out anyway. Better now than later." I yawned. "I…I guess." he shrugged, "Alright, Ed. Grab your gear. You're moving out now."

 _"_ _Here's the plan: You and Snivy drop into the Luminose Badlands. I heard that two of the dexholders in this region are fighting there, so you need to check it out, invite them to join the team, ect, ect. Now, I'm heading off to the city to handle some… issues. I heard Luminose City is currently in the midst of yet another blackout, and it looks like only Yellow and I can stop it."_

 _"_ _What about the Badlands Power Plant? I guess K1S3K1 can handle that… Good thing I don't need to go in there!"_

Red stared at me. I sighed, " _I have to go in there, don't I?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, you kinda do. Now, tell me something; What do you know about Trainers_ _ **X**_ _and_ _ **Y**_ _?"_

 _"_ _ **Xavier 'X' Calem**_ _and_ _ **Yolanda 'Y' Serena**_ _. Yeah, I've heard of them. They're the ones leading the charge here, right?"_

 _"_ _Bingo. Not only that, I've arranged for a novice Sergeant in K1S3K1 to help you. You completed Kanto."_

 _"_ _Yeah. What's that gotta do with-"_

 _"_ _ **Sgt Lyndis Surge.**_ _That's the aid I called in."_

Red handed me a small file. I flipped through it, examining the contents, _"Lt Surge's niece? I didn't know he had a kid." "Not really. Surge had a brother, Craig Surge, but he's MIA. Lyn is his daughter." "Ah."_

 _"_ _Now, N helped me a little in this plan by providing this chopper. As he cannot afford the pilots to fly it right now, he sent… a different sort of guy to handle the flying."_

 _"_ _Who?"_

 _"_ _Me."_

A guy wearing a black shirt with shades looked at us, "Sup." "…Right. Red, who is this guy and is he vital to the plot?" "Course I am! Wait, this isn't my home series… Eh, whatever."

Red shook his head, "Ed, this is **'Sam 'Fury' Lowell** '. He's a complete nutcase, I tell ya. He keeps claiming he's part of this…this inter-dimensional taskforce." I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, sure. That sort of thing only happens in Fanfictions." "The Red from my storyline wouldn't say that!"

"Sure, sure." Yellow sighed, rolling her eyes, "Ed, grab your weapons. You and Snivy are moving out."

I nodded, "Hey, can you get me one of those famous Kalosian hats?" Yellow chuckled, "Sure thing! I'll see what we can find!" Red nodded, "I was thinking of getting a hat for myself… Well, good luck!"

* * *

 _(The author recommends playing_ ** _Star Fox Assault: Main theme_** _for the following montage.)_

I ran to my room, picking up my helmet and armour…

 _"_ _Message to Trainer Red! Priority 1!"_

I clipped on the helmet picking up my pokeballs.

 _"_ _We need your help, Red!"_

Squirtle grabbed his 3DS off the bed, putting it into his shell.

 _"_ _Luminose City is under attack…"_

Charizard picked up my shotgun, carrying it on his back.

 _"_ _And they're targeting our power plant!"_

Ivysaur closed the pokedex, loading it into my bag.

 _"_ _Our army alone can't do the job! Please hurry!"_

 _"_ _We're on our way!"_

We ran down the hallway, launch sirens ringing as we ran. Our feet clunked down the iron floor, as we headed for the helicopter. The four of us were ready for anything. Any enemy, any tank, any army, anything. We were soldiers now. We were ready for the battle.

 _"_ _I see 'em up ahead! Let's rock and roll!"_

* * *

 _(Ok, you can stop playing the music now.)_

Snivy shook his head, "What took you so long?" "Montage. It's completely necessary for this sort of thing." I replied, folding my arms , "Now that we're ready, I think it's time we headed off."

Well, that was a little quick. But hey, we needed action quickly.

 _We were the only people up to the task. We were the plan._

Red saluted, "Alright, I'll give you updates through your visor as you proceed." I tapped the Battle AR twice, and checked the new message appeared;

 **[Phase 1: Reach]**

 **"** **Good luck, Ed."**

* * *

 _[Luminose Badlands (Desert), Kalos]_

 _The girl sighed, poking the fire. Next to her, a Greninja sighed as well, his green cloak blowing in the wind._

 _"_ _Mark, how long have we been sitting here?" the girl asked, running her fingers through her single green ponytail. "..." it couldn't respond. It was too tired to care._

 _"_ _Right…"_ ** _Lyn_** _sighed, pulling a katana from her bag, "Alright. If the reinforcements don't come in the next 1 hour, I'm leaving…"_

* * *

[Kalosian Airspace (Area 6: Badlands), Kalos]

I looked at Sam, who was calmly flying the chopper into the desert, "So… Who are you?" "Ed, if I told you that you are actually a fictional-" "Yeah. I noticed." I yawned, adjusting the straps on my harness, "You are one hell of a crazy guy." "Hey, this isn't my series, you know. I'm actually part of **Team Arcstrike**. Maybe some readers of my series know me."

Snivy shook his head, "Crazy as heck." "Guys, I didn't come to this Universe to be laughed at. For your information, I came here on vacation. Also, to see how **my brother's** series is going." he replied, tapping a few gauges, "Did I mention you swear way too much?" "Well… say you did come from another 'series' and you are telling the truth." Snivy replied, watching the desert sands pass us by below, "What can you tell us about _the future of our story_?"

"I can only show you the way. I cannot walk it with you." the pilot smiled, "But I can tell you **_three things; one, someone important shall die, two, nobody will die, and three, Snivy is a-"_**

Before he could finish that sentence, an explosion rocked the ship. I looked outside, "Missiles! Missiles everywhere! Quick, deploy the flares!" "Don't have any. Never fear, I am a master at flying this." Sam smiled, "I think."

Snivy shook his head, pulling a rope ladder from a nearby storage cupboard, "Sam, fly the helicopter close to the ground. I'll handle this." "Are you crazy?! At this altitude- Wait, right. You are all stupid…" he grumbled, "Fine."

Snivy lowered the ladder, pulling out a grenade launcher from his bag. He climbed down the ladder, gripping his weapon in one hand, before opening fire on the missiles. Sam checked his control panel, rolling his eyes, "Well, what d'ya know. Somehow, this suicidal, stupid, insane plan somehow works. **Big whoop dee do.** " "Shut up, will ya? We're only doing this because you requested it." I muttered, folding my hands, "Anyway, you act like you're so special. Remind me, when was the last time you made a move?" "…Look, school gets in the way, and I just don't have the time to update." "…Sure. **Look, kid. This isn't a game, or a fanfiction, or any of those things.** " "I get that a lot." "Oh, if you're so powerful, why don't you just CALL FOR HELP?! _YOU CAN'T FLY A HELICOPTER!_ " I exclaimed, "The odds of our survival are-" "Never tell me the odds!" he declared, "Alright, Snivy, ladder up. We need to keep moving."

Snivy climbed back into his seat, "That was fun." "Sure. Oh, and another thing, you lot travel between regions, fire a shitload of bullets, and then what? Liberation? Oh, ha ha ha." Sam glared at us, "You lot kill because you can. **_You are murderers._** _You beat up little kids for cash, you leave wild pokemon to die in the woods for what? Oh, that's right. Levelling up your team. When will you realize you are just_ _ **cold blooded-"**_

 **"** **So? You wanna bring up the Plasma argument again?"**

I blinked, looking at Snivy, "What do you mean?"

 _"_ _So maybe this is a story. So maybe we're all controlled by some dude typing words on a page? Well, it sure doesn't feel that way to us. At least we feel like we're making our own choices. And we've made the choice to fight. Besides, have you ever realized that pokemon have berries that they eat to heal themselves?"_

 _"_ _And you take away that freedom for your own selfish desires."_

 _"…_ _And I suppose that your team is better? That all this is a piece of crap, and your story is better? In which case… I'll only be so happy to see you die." Snivy finished, "People like you exist in this world. And you know what? Nobody likes them! They are selfish, selfish people. But every time somebody like that tries push their views on others, that when people like us arise. People who try to stop these other people. They are considered heroes. But the line between hero and villain is a fine one."_

 _"…_ _So what? You walk around shooting people, kicking them in the face, swearing, assaulting-"_

 _"_ _We walk that line. Your team may have a designated enemy, but for us, our enemies are a lot larger. They are the darkness within us. The shadows in our hearts. The enemy within." Snivy replied, "We stick together. We're an unbreakable force. Only through unity can we succeed. A unity formed only by… what you call our 'selfish desires'."_

 _"_ _We reflect in our Pokemon. And they reflect in us."_

 _"_ _We all have shadows. We are all guilty of something. So we blame others to cover up that guilt. But you know what? We're more than that. We're in control of our own lives. Ironic, I know… For someone who thinks that we're all part of this 'story'."_

He leaned back, "So, let the next chapter be our own. I'll make it out. I just know it. And if I don't… **Well, I'll just have to build that bridge when I get there, right Ed?** "

I nodded, "Don't worry, Snivy… Or whoever you are."

There was a few seconds of silence, as we let it all sink in.

* * *

"… That was a little dark." Sam finally muttered, "And I told him to cut down on the dark writing…" "Those who claim to have pure hearts are beasts in denial." Snivy added, "That's all I have to say."

"…Right. Anyway, we're approaching the drop zone. Prepare for deploy-" A loud explosion rocked the aircraft, as Sam looked out the window, "Wait, we've lost the engines. Well, there goes my vacation."

I gasped, turning to the pilot, "Get us to safety!" "Nope. I'm getting paid to fly you guys to the drop zone." he replied. "Get us to safety." I repeated, glaring at him.

 **"** **Edward Catcher, you are jumping out of this plane, or I shall personally push you out."**

I nodded quickly. Getting killed by a pissed mercenary was not on my agenda today either.

I turned to Snivy, who gave me a quick nod, _"Smell you later."_

 _He jumped out, arms outstretched._

I gave a final glance at the pilot, who threw his hands up into the air, _"JUMP ALREADY!"_

 _Spoilsport._

 _I shut my eyes, forced the chopper's doors open, and tumbled headlong into the cold night sky._

 _Sam shook his head, "I've spent 5 days in this Universe, and already I'm sick of it. Worst Fanfiction ever. Ania, get me outta here." A voice in his headset replied, "Copy. Hey, Sam, did they forget their backpacks?"_

 _Just as the portal opened before him, he stopped to look at the two backpacks, "Wait, they forgot the parachutes, didn't they?"_

 _"_ _Yup."_

 _"_ _Crud. Well, can't be helped." Sam shrugged, teleporting away to his home series._

 _The helicopter plunged into a cliff, blowing up in a glorious orange cloud of fire, erasing all evidence of his existence in a flash._

I fell on my Earth-bound trajectory faster and faster. Snivy nodded to me, "We're going in for High Altitude, Low Opening… We forgot the parachutes, didn't we?"

I felt my shoulder. There was no ripcord there.

 **Shit.**

"Yeah. We kinda did." I groaned, "Great. Instead of fighting the enemy, we'll be red splats in the desert. I prefer a better death. No wait, I DEMAND a better death. Screw you Arceus, I wanted to die shooting someone…or peacefully in bed, maybe, but not falling at terminal velocity at the ground. Screw you! **SCREW YOUUUUUUUUU…** "

 _"_ _Wait, I have jet boots! I can- No wait, they're out of power."_

 _"_ _Is that bad? I mean, my armour's survived worse."_

 _"_ _Well, unless you hate me, then yeah it's bad."_

 _"…_ _Makes sense."_

 _"…_ _And I never got to see Alola-"_

* * *

 ***Crunch***

 ** _Well, I'm dead now. That was stupid. Aw well…_**

 _That's the end of my story! Thank youse all for reading, I hope- hold on, this isn't even the end of this page yet! I must be still alive! And that's a good thing._

 _Well… I sure don't exactly think I'm 100% yet…_

 _Seeing as I'm unconscious, I bet I'm missing out on all kinds of sights. Stuff like…sand…uh…sand…and perhaps…um…more sand._

 _Hey, maybe being unconscious is not as bad as it seems… But I really shouldn't make it a habit… I mean, back in chapter 1…_

 ** _"_** ** _Who are you, and why are you talking to yourself?"_**

 _…_

 _Dammit._

* * *

 **[Phase 2: Ghosts]**

 **"** **I feel asleep… Did anyone catch that Blue Shell that hit me, because that Fuzzy Pickle sure didn't help me…"**

I opened my eyes slowly, as a gloved hand felt my forehead, **"I'm surprised as you are. I'm not exactly sure how you managed to fall from that height and land safely."** I shook my head, "Maybe I'm just lucky. _Wait,_ _ **hot chick tending my wounds?**_ **_I died at last!_** " "…Uh, thanks for the compliment?" the person tending to my wounds replied, confused, "I'm not sure if you're dazed, or really, really perverted."

My vision was now fading back into focus. The girl sitting next to me was wearing a flowing blue cloak with a sheath around her waist. Her hands were covered by brown leather gloves. Underneath the cloak, she wore a pair of grey cargo pants, and brown boots. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail and dyed a dark green. Her eyes were similarly coloured, but one was bruised and black.

Finally (Somebody like me was going to notice this eventually.), her chest was covered by a dark blue bulletproof vest.

"I am **Lyn. Lyndis Surge**. I found you and the other guy in that crater you left out there." she said smiling, "So I brought you into my camp. So…Where are the reinforcements?" "Reinforcements?" I muttered slowly, my mind slowly unjumbling itself, "What reinforce- Oh, wait. That would be us two."

"Ah. I was expecting a little more… But you'll do." she smiled, "I am a tactician in the **K1S3K1 Defence Force**. Normally, I'd plan attacks in the war room, but **X** wanted me to move out this time. He has been a little… Unhinged these days, though." "…Snivy? Where is he?" I asked, looking around.

"Don't move around too much. While your armour absorbed most of the impact, you have several bruises on your head." she explained, "Anyway, Snivy landed safely, and managed to carry you to safety. He carried you here. Uh, question; why won't he take off his helmet?" "… You asked him, didn't you?" I inquired, sweatdropping.

She motioned to her black eye, "I did."

I surveyed my surroundings. There was a small campfire nearby with Snivy sitting next it, the orange flames reflecting in his visor. Nearby, there was an armoured troop carrier, and a Greninja wearing a green cloak leaning on it.

"I need to get you to base." Lyn continued, "There, we can plan our next attack." I opened my mouth to speak, when I noticed a red dot trained on Lyn's forehead.

 **"** **Sniper!"**

I jumped in the way, quickly putting on my helmet. The bullet pinged off harmlessly.

Lyn got up, "Darn! **Mark** , get the supplies into the van! I'll handle this!" She reached to her sheath, drawing a katana, "Come at me!"

Immediately, a squad of armed soldiers came out of the woods, guns blazing. I yelped, quickly drawing my shotgun and firing it at anything that moved, "Ambush!" "Y'know, I prefer you to say more than one word every time you spoke!" Lyn yelled, slicing at a few assault rifles.

Snivy calmly stood up, and motioned to the Greninja, "Gun, please." Confused, the pokemon quickly handed him a taser. Snivy examined the weapon, before shrugging, "That'll do nicely."

I kicked the soldier in the crotch, expecting some kind of response. Nothing. I turned to Lyn, "Who are these guys?" " _Combat Units._ Autonomous droids that can kill people, essentially!" she replied, stabbing her sword into the enemies, "Flare has been using these attack robots instead of humans! Cheap, easy to manufacture, and reliable!"

Snivy and I looked at each other, "So… _Can I kill it?_ "

"Well, technically, they were never 'alive' to begin with…" Lyn began, "Wait- _Oh, dear…_ "

That was all we needed to hear.

Snivy smiled, **"ATTACK!"**

He transformed into a tornado of electricity, circulatory fluid, scrap metal and armour, cutting down any enemy in his path mercilessly. I drew my pistol, firing it wildly at the oncoming attackers, "How'd they build so many?!" "They're being built in the old power plant! Flare seems to have gotten funding from… Something. I don't know!" Lyn yelled, lunging at a droid, "I bet **Team Rocket** is in cahoots with them! I mean, they have a never ending supply of mechs!"

" _Which they normally use to chase down one boy and his pikachu._ Waste of a good battle robot, if you ask me." Snivy commented, snapping the neck of one of the droids, "Man, these guys aim like me on a Friday night! Who programs these guys, **Stormtrooper Academy**?" "Yeah. Anyway… I think that's all of them!" Lyn gasped, chopping off the last droid's head, "Phew…"

I smiled, "So, how are you feeling?" "…Energised. This is the first time I've handled an ambush on my own." the tactician smiled, swinging her sword over her shoulder, **"** ** _I'm really feeling it!"_**

Snivy walked up to the Greninja, calmly handing him the taser, "Thank you very much."

"…" the pokemon blinked, still in awe of Snivy's display of badassery.

We climbed into the vehicle, Lyn taking the wheel, "Alright. I'll get us back to base. Wait, I forgot; who are you two?"

I shook her hand, "Ed. Ed Catcher. This is…uh, Snivy apparently. He says his real name's Dave, though…" "…Yeah, I prefer Snivy." Lyn shrugged, starting up the engine, "Anyway, make yourselves comfortable. I shall also be fielding all questions on the war and our team."

I nodded, "Ok, firstly, why do you carry a sword around when people are clearly shooting at you? I mean, I can understand the flair and all, but…" "Heh. Kalosians have a thing for flair and dramatics. I'm actually more skilled with a blade than with a gun, though, so I use this sword to fight. Also, considering my ancestors in Feudal Johto were skilled swordfighter themselves, I say it runs in the family."

Snivy sat up, "Ok, I'm interested now. What do you mean?" "My ancestors were part of the **'Lorca'** tribe. They were skilled fighters, and it was said that one of their own single-handedly took down the warring **'Hoshido'** and **'Nohr'** clans at the time. I'm actually named after that girl; **Lyndis Eliwood**."

"…That sounds awfully familiar to a video game I've played recently…" I shook my head, "Sorry. So, let me get this straight; you're named Lyndis after your Great times 100 grandmother?" "Yeah. Uncle Surge doesn't believe that I'm anything too special, though." she shook her head, " _Something seems off about him… Almost as if he's trying to take something from me…_ "

"Ah, that's just your brain screwing with you." Snivy yawned, "Nothing to be worried about. I mean, _your uncle trying to take something from you? That's absurd, Lyn, and you know it._ " "I guess."

 _Meanwhile, in another dimension…_

 _"_ _ACHOO!"_

 _"_ _Lyn, are you Ok?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, don't worry about me, Sain."_

 _"_ _You could catch a cold out there, y'know."_

 _"_ _Please."_

"Fire Emblem jokes aside, how is the team out there?" I asked, "Are they doing well?" "…Not exactly. We're kinda only 6 people in a base versus a whole army. Literally." Lyn sighed, "It used to be 7, but then **Aerith** died and… things spiralled downwards from there. Hold it, make that 5 people. **Y** was captured in the last operation." " **Y? As in,** ** _Yolanda 'Y' Serena?_** **That's not good.** " "Worse. **X** has been incredibly depressed. I'm not sure how much longer we'll hold out. **Commander Snow** keeps telling us to fight on… but I'm sure she knows it too; we're all screwed over to hell and back."

She turned to look at us, her eyes full of tears, " _But you're here now. We can trust you, right? Will you save us?"_

 _Snivy smiled, "Yes… Yes… We will."_

 _"_ _If they want to take our freedom, they'll have to defeat my dragon's punch." I smiled, patting her back._

 _"…_ _Thanks."_

* * *

 **[Phase 3: Guardians]**

[Base 'Kirito', Luminose Badlands, Kalos]

We skidded into the base's hangar, driving past 4 aircraft, neatly docked next to each other. Snivy leaned towards the window, "Mudkip grade." "Yeah. It's kinda outdated, I know, but that's all we can afford." Lyn sighed. "No… It brings back memories… Both good and bad…" Snivy muttered, "I used to fly one back in my military days…"

 ** _"_** ** _Really? Well, then you'll be a great help to our cause."_**

A person walked up to the vehicle. He was wearing rather bulky white and neon blue body armour with a circular blue core on his chest, as well as white goggles with orange lens. Messy brown hair came out from the top of his head. He wore orange armoured leggiings, and had two pistols on his hip holsters, " **Well, looks like the cavalry's here...** "

Lyn smiled, " **Tracer!** "

"Wait, I didn't know we were crossing over with-" I began, before the person smiled.

"I have no idea what you mean by 'crossing over', but my name's not really Tracer. My name's **Tyra .R. Acer**. But **Tracer** is my nickname, so call me that for now, ok?" he shook my hand. I also noticed his slight Kalosian accent as he spoke, "I'm also formally known as **Commander Snow** , but that's legal stuff." "Edward Catcher. Guy in black's Snivy. We're here to help the defence."

Tracer nodded, "Lyn has told you about the mission, I trust?" "Yup!" I nodded.

"…She forgot, didn't she?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Tracer." Lyn blushed, "Anyway… Meet with X. Tracer, I need to plan-" "Lyn."

Lyn stood straight all of a sudden, gasping, "Sorry! What's wrong?" "Lyn, X wants us on the field. I can by his moods that _Operation Tempo_ will possibly fail without all of us on the field." "But… We're just two girls! A commander with guns and a tactician with a sword! We can't possibly hold them all-" **"Say WHAT now?!"**

Tracer turned to look at me, "What?" "You're a- but- the-" I began slowly, my mind slowly looking her over up and down, "The-I-Ah, screw it! I can't tell male from female today…"

"Rookie mistake." Lyn chuckled, "I thought that too when I first saw her. Anyway… So, where is **Sol** and **Luna**?" "We'll worry about that later." Tracer replied, "Ed, Snivy… Guess I should show you around our 'humble abode'. So, follow me."

* * *

Snivy marched down the dark hallways, occasionally lit up by the odd buzzing lamp, "This place… It's rather depilated for a resistance force like you to be in…" "Hey, it's all we could afford. Besides, I'm not one to talk to the brass…" she sighed, "They're still strung up by that thing I did at the end of _Operation Overwatch_ …" "…Please stop with the references…" Snivy muttered.

I turned to Tracer, "By the way, what's with the armour?" She smirked, "Funny, that. **Prof Juniper** gave us these armoured suits as standard gear out here. Personally, I kinda like it. Makes me look like some sci-fi action hero from a videogame… Anyway, the blue core is powered by a single **mega stone** , the driving force of most of my armour. It also amplifies my speed, meaning I can do _this_!"

Suddenly, in a flash of blue, she vanished. Snivy and I looked around, _"What the heck?"_

Suddenly, an ice cream was shoved in my face. I blinked, "Wait, what?"

"Want some? Yeah, I ran down to the fridge in literally 5 seconds, pulled out two ice creams, and ran back here."

Tracer shrugged ,"Well, more for me." I shook my head, noticing her boots were smoking, "Hey… Running boots?" "Powered my Mega core. Yeah, they're fast. Almost feels like I'm _teleporting everywhere_ …" she shook her head, "Nah, I'm still here. **SCIENCE! YEAH!** "

 _"_ _How did you even become a commander?" Snivy asked, shaking his head._

"Anyway, this is our war room, that's the command centre, that leads to the hangar, that's the toilet, down there's the living quarters, over there's the something-or-rather, and blah blah blah words all the words."

 _Seriously, I couldn't remember most of what she was saying. I think I spaced out after a few minutes._

"Blah blah, Undertale, blah, blah blah Overwatch is great, blah blah blah **Armoury** , blah…"

 **Wait, what?!**

I grabbed her shoulders, **"A…ARMOURY!? WITH GUNS?!"**

"…Underwear…" she softly said, finishing her last sentence, "I mean, uh, Wait, the- Oh, I see. **Well, behind this door here…** "

 **She led us to a door, with a rusty iron plate hanging on the front labelled 'Armoury', "This is where we keep our weapons. The best of the best. The finest guns. Now, I expect a level of maturity her-" "YAY FIREARMS!" Snivy and I cheered at the same time, kicking down the door.**

We were not expecting what lay behind that door.

* * *

There was a sofa in the middle of the room, with a boy and a girl sitting on it, calmly playing with their 3DS.

I raised an eyebrow, "Uh…"

The girl jumped up, **"HAH! MY LVL 100 MEWTWO KICKS ASS! I PWN J00! W00T! W00T! W00T! W00T!"** The boy jumped up as well, **"NO WAY! MY LVL 66 CHARIZARD KICKED ASS BETTER THAN THAT CHEAPSHOT!" "YOU'RE JUST JELLY!" "NO, I'M NOT!" "YOU'RE JUST JELLY! YOU'RE JUST JELLY!" "SHUT UP!" "NOPE!"**

The two began chasing each other around the room, occasionally bumping into the odd weapon on the walls. I raised a finger, "Uh… Should we go? I don't think these kids are supposed to be-" "SOL! LUNA!" Tracer yelled.

The two froze, staring at us, "Wha- Oh, right! Sorry!" Now that the two had stopped chasing each other, I could see them clearly.

Both were Alolan-Unovan, with dark skin and black hair. The boy wore a blue and white striped shirt and a black cap, while the girl wore a white skirt and… apparently, a rooster hat.

 _Snivy smirked inside his helmet, "Rooster hat."_

"Hey, who's that guy?" the boy asked, walking up to me, "You look… haunting." I shrugged, "Just my armour. I'm Ed, and you're…" " **Sol!** **Nate 'Sol' Johnson.** " he smiled, "I'm from **Alola.** " "I'm **Luna, and I'm from Alola too!** Well, my real name is **Katie** …" the girl shrugged.

"…Aren't they a little young to be fighting?" I asked Tracer. She shrugged, "We found these two in the city. They said they wanted to join our team… You can see we're desperate if we need kids to fight for us too." "Hey, I only just got my licence 3 years ago." Nate replied, "I wanted to help something worthy. And besides, **Litty** totally kicked ass when we saved you from those bad guys when you first met us!" "Yeah, not to mention **Rowly!** " Katie added, "…Of course, we honestly don't wanna die…" "Too bad, recruits." Snivy said, folding his arms, "This what you signed on for. In fact, I bet X would be-" **"Right behind you."**

We spun around, coming face-to-face with a armoured boy wearing a dark red helmet with a light blue forehead gem and dark blue body armour. He had a pistol on his left holster, and a small iron tube on his right.

 _"_ _I was_ _ **X.**_ _But I'm now nothing. I am_ _ **Zero**_ _."_

* * *

I raised an eyebrow, "X? The guy who beat the- I mean, the Dexholder of this region?" "Look, I understand who you truly call me, but I just want to get away from the fame…" he clenched his fist, as if remembering a past event that hurt him, _"…I've failed Y… I won't let it happen again."_

"Who are we?" he asked, looking around the room, "Lost souls? Random soldiers? Confused children? No. Today we fight, not for Luminose City, but for Kalos. For Alola. For Kanto. For…Orre…"

 _"_ _We are defenders."_

I looked at X. He stared back at me, "Ed… I've heard you've joined Red to solve problems. Well, today you aren't. Today, everyone in this room is performing an unsanctioned strike on the enemy base." "WHAT?!" Tracer gasped, "You're crazy! We're on bad terms with the official defence already, and you-"

 _"_ _And what?"_ X yelled at Tracer, _"You aren't? We aren't? We use child soldiers, a tactician who's only here because her uncle wanted her here, two lost Orrans from a_ _ **research vessel**_ _and a commander who lost respect from her command! We're the last ones left to fight! Screw the fact it's an unsanctioned strike! This could be the coup de grace for Flare! Their Waterloo! So, if you think it's not justified,_ _ **Tyra Ramona Acer**_ _, then you're not welcome here anymore._ _ **UNDERSTAND?**_ _"_

She fell back, "…We can't…" "Then leave." X glared at her.

I shook my head, "This isn't right... X, I-" "Get better weapons. They're shooting real laser out there, and I bet your cute little .22 wouldn't even tickle them." X shot back, " What are you, _stuck in 1996?_ We use laser weaponry out here. It's more efficient. After saying your goodbyes to your ass, head out to the hangar. I'll be waiting. I give you… 5 minutes to prepare. We depart at 0001 hours. Now, **GET ON WITH IT!** "

I snapped to a quick salute, "Y… _Yes Sir!_ "

X shot me another glare, _"Too loose. That's your problem. Well, I suppose you and your friend can stay for as long as I will allow you to."_

 _Snivy glared at him, "What an $$."_

 _X made a quick about turn, and walked off, leg armour clanking._

* * *

 **[Phase 4: Combat Evolved]**

Sol shook his head, "What is that guy's problem… Then again, if I lost Luna… I guess it's understandable." Luna nodded, hugging Sol, "Never leave me." "I hope I never will." Sol smiled.

I looked at the weapons rack on the wall, sizing up each weapon, "Hmm… Is this supposed to be some sort of grenade?" I picked up a blue iron tube with a small yellow gauge on the side. Next to where the tube lay was a blue helmet with side padding on the sides to protect the ears. On the forehead was a small red gem, shaped like my VS Seeker. I put on the helmet, "Hey, Tracer. What's this?"

"Ah… Training armour. That little blue tube isn't a grenade. It's an arm cannon." she explained, helping me attach the arm cannon to my arm, "It's only a Training suit, but…" "I like it." I nodded, putting on a power core. "We call it the **Mega Arm**. It uses the mega core, which I see you've put on, to fire concentrated energy blas- You already have one in that Snag Arm you're wearing." I opened my own Snag Arm, wiring the two weapons together, "Alright. I've rigged up a capacitator loop; Charge function enabled. Now I can charge shot."

Lyn shrugged, pulling out her katana, "Personally, I prefer my enemies to taste steel when they die…not that they can, since they're droids and all, but still…" Tracer pulled out her twin pistols, "Seriously?" "Hey, if you have a problem with swords, X has a problem with you." I shook my head, "But he's not carrying-" "The iron canister is actually a laser blade. He is really quite skilled with that sword. I guess the pain of losing Y empowers him…" "About that; what happened to Y?"

Luna shook her head, "I remember that operation…"

* * *

 _Yesterday…_

 _X ran onto the battlefield, laser pistol raised, "Flare Scum!" Y ran up next to him, wearing light-blue armour; a variation of the training suit. She fired several shots from her own Mega Arm, "'Zero', enemies behind-"_

 _X winked at her, back flipping over the enemies and beheading it with one slice of his green saber, "Worry about your own head,_ ** _'X'_** _!"_

 **"** **HOLD IT!"**

* * *

I shook my head, " **Y** 's callsign is **X**?!"

Luna shrugged, "Mine is Aile. Sol's is Vent."

"…Weird. I feel as if this is another reference…"

"May I continue?"

"…Yes."

* * *

 _Y calmly spun around, firing shots around her, causing several drones around her to explode, "Well… This is a fine mess we're stuck in." X smiled, patting her back, "Hey, if we beat this squad, it'll open a path to the enemy base! Then we can go home. Tell you what, when we make it home after this war, why don't we go to see 'Kalos got Talent' live?" Y blinked, "You really mean-"_

 _X smiled, "I'll figure out a way to evade the paparazzi. I mean, I'm fighting a freaking robot army here!" He paused to spin around, his green blade of light slashing through several enemies around him, "So, what about-"_

 _Suddenly, a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. He turned around, and realized Y had tied the scarf around his neck, "I'm going into the base. Take care of this for me, will ya?"_

 _X smiled, kissing Y, "Hey, don't go dying on me, okay?" "Okay."_

 _She ran into the base, guns blazing…_

 _X ran in after her…_

* * *

 _"_ _Y?"_

 _"_ _X, I've found some sort of mech down here. It's got a minigun, a few rocket pods… It's an_ _ **Orre Gear**_ _. I think I saw this in a film once."_

 _"_ _Alright. Y, Let's go- LOOK OUT!"_

 _"_ _Huh- X! KYAAAH!"_

 _"_ _Y! Please respon-"_

 _"_ _GET OUTTA HERE! I LOVE YOU FOREVER, X!"_

 _"_ _Y! NO!"_

 _X ran out of the base, his friend's words searing his heart…_

 _"…_ _No…This can't be…"_

 _The base exploded behind him in a large fireball. And at that moment, X's heart shattered into a million pieces of crystal. He felt a billion emotions at once. Rage, sadness, anger, fury… and love._

 _X fell to the ground, "…Xerneas…"_

 _"…"_

 ** _"_** ** _WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR?"_** _X cried, as rain began to fall._

 _Within the raindrops, nobody could see him crying._

 _Y was dead…_

 _He had failed his friend. He felt the small yellow scarf wrapped around his neck, the only reminder that Y was ever alive to him. Her smile… Her soft laughter… The friend who brought him out of depression, all those months ago…_

 _"_ _ **Y…**_ _"_

 _Heartbroken, X began his long march home to the base, the yellow scarf blowing in the wind._

 _And with it, he carried a broken heart, and a guilty conscience._

 _"_ _I was too slow…"_

* * *

 _"_ _And because of that… He became_ _ **Zero**_ _."_ Luna finished, tears falling from her eyes, "I can't help but cry… I don't want to lose a friend like that, either…" Sol ran up to her, hugging her, "Don't lose hope, Luna. I know X hasn't… That's the cheesiest line I could say right now, but… Hey, everyone likes cheese, right? Unless you're allergic."

Luna blinked, before laughing, "Classic 'Sunny boy'!" Sol smirked, "Heh. So, wanna go kick ass out there?" "YEAH!"

I chuckled, picking up a laser pistol, "To be young again…"

 _Snivy nodded, smiling under his helmet, 'I miss being part of a family like this… Maybe he's right… But no, Snivy, not now. He's not ready.'_

He walked over, holding an assault rifle, "Alright. Let's move." I saluted, "Copy that!"

The war had just begun.

* * *

 **[Phase 5: The Phantom Pain]**

 **"** **You're late."**

I shook my head, "Sorry, X, but-" "Enough. The enemy base used to be one of ours." X explained, pulling out a hologram. It projected a map of the badlands, with a single red dot marked on the map, "This is **_Asuna_**. Cheap Johtoese name, I know, but we need to look past that and focus on the mission. Anyway, this red dot is Y. Notice anything about it?"

I leaned in closer, before it slowly inched half a millimetre. Snivy nodded, "She's moving. So, she didn't- _Mind control?_ "

X leaned up to Snivy, _"What the hell are you talking about, soldier?!" "It's not impossible, Zero."_ Snivy said, his face visor seeming darker than usual, " **I was under a psychic's influence once**. I managed to break free via a cognitive reset… Sort of like… We need to remind X- and by that I mean Y- who she was." "Oh really?" X questioned, "And how can you tell, recruit?"

"The very fact she's moving…" Snivy replied, "Telling from her background, Yolanda is not one for sneaking around, so clearly she would've been captured by now. Thus, the fact she is moving around the base…" He zoomed into the base, black armoured fingers gracefully sliding across the hologram.

I could track the movements clearly now. She seemed to be walking around the base entrance, almost as if…as if…

 _No… It can't be…_

 _X shook his head slowly in disbelief, "My friend… What is she…"_

 _Almost as if she was expecting us._

Snivy nodded to X, "It's a trap."

"I see… Good going, Snivy. But we have no choice. The enemy has played us into a check, and it appears it may be a mate." X muttered.

"Then I have another plan. You called your plan _Operation Tempo. This is_ ** _Operation Outer Heaven._** "

* * *

 _"_ _ **Team Alola 2-0**_ _(That's you, Sol and Luna.), distract the guards at the back of the base. Draw them out. I'm thinking something big. Since I hope you have C-4 in this base, blow up the fuel depot here."_

 _Sol nodded, "Alright! Let's blow some shit up!" Luna smiled, "Leave it to us!"_

 _"_ _ **Team Blazing Sword**_ _(Lyn and Tracer), when the Alolans draw the enemy away from the base, you…"_

 _Lyn smiled, "We go in, attack the guards, and screw all their shit up!"_

 _Snivy shook his head, "No. That's why you fail. I want you two to launch a missile strike from this base via the missile silo. I don't want you holding back. Once the enemy base is on fire, Tracer will pilot a jet over the base and take out the remaining stragglers. They're droids, so don't hold back."_

 _The commander saluted, "Copy. I got this. But they can still come out from the-"_

 _Snivy turned to X and me, "We're_ _ **Team Maverick Hunter.**_ _Our job is to take out Y in the designated 5 minute time limit I calculate for you to carry out this plan. If there are problems, improvise. Tracer, maybe if you hack the enemy AI we can get the returning enemies to attack their human leader in the base."_

 _"_ _Snivy, how do you know there's a human leader behind all this?" I asked, as Snivy closed the hologram._

 _"_ _Only a human being could be behind this attack that affects so many." X shook his head, "Only a human could be so cowardly to have droids do all the dirty work. They're outnumbered. It's 7 humans against 2. The only variable they have changed is creating metal pawns. Without it, if we bring back Y, the commander won't stand a chance. Unless he chooses to flee, but let's admit it; Only a human would have the balls to lead a failing army from a burning base. Good work, Snivy. Couldn't have planned it better myself."_

 _Snivy smiled, "I improvised."_

 _X turned to all of us, "Alright. Today, we take back our comrade, and take back our homeland. This is it, recruits. The battle is born._ ** _Pour Kalos, nos alliés, et pour notre honneur! MOVE OUT!_** _"_

 _We saluted, "YES SIR!"_

* * *

[Luminose Badlands (En route to Asuna Base), Kalos]

 ** _"_** ** _You planned that better than me…"_**

 _Snivy blushed under his helmet, smiling._

We were riding in one of the random armoured assault vehicles towards the base. We trundled over rocky terrain, the vehicle only rocking slightly, thanks to the advanced hydraulics. X sat in the driver's seat, with Snivy acting as gunner in the seat next to him. I was at the back, strapped into a harness along with Sol and Luna. Both looked extremely nervous about the upcoming mission, but still excited. I smiled, _'Just like Red…'_

"Ah… What was your plan, by the way?" I asked X, who shrugged.

"Full scale assault on the base's front. Now I see that was just a plan born from my remorse…" he sighed, "Ed… Tell me, what do you truly remember me as?" "… Actually, or how the media presented you?" Snivy butted in.

"…What do you mean?"

"The media presented you as a champion. But as I see it, you're just one of us… A regular guy trying to live his life." Snivy commented, patting his back, "Sometimes, we all like being famous. But there comes a time in your life where you want to fade into shadows. Where the glory shall vanish. Value those days with friends, Zero."

X nodded, "I see. But what am I to do, if all around me want me in the spotlight? **How can one fade into shadows when the light is too bright?** "

 _"_ _As the darkness hides in shadow… There is a way you can hide in the light."_ The mercenary clutched his head, "And for my whole life, I've done it…"

"Snivy… Your operative name is now _Roll_." X said, becoming serious once more.

I turned to Sol, "Tell me a little more about your home, Sol." He blinked, looking at his harness, "What? You mean Alola? Well… It's not much you see. Just a few (UNKNOWN POKEMON) running about the tall grass, a few coastal villages like our home, (UNKNOWN LOCATION), not to mention (UNKNOWN ITEM) being used by (UNKNOWN TRAINER). Nothing to see, honestly." I shook my head, "I'm sorry, I don't know where many of those places are…" "Heh, that's why I'm telling you. But I can tell you a bit more about Luna and I. Where to begin…" Sol smiled, remembering his past…

 _"_ _On the 18_ _th_ _of November, 14 years ago, we were born. It was a very special day, that. It was the day our region was recognised as an official Region by the United Regions. Luna and I may have been born on the same day, in the same village, but that didn't mean we knew each other… Well, not until we were both 11. That was the day Luna and I became best friends."_

* * *

[(UNKNOWN LOCATION), Alola, _Two years ago…_ ]

* * *

 _ **"**_ _ **Our home village was well known for its eggplant crops, friendly villagers, and of course, the tall nearby cliffs. It was on one of these cliffs that I first discovered Luna."**_

* * *

 _"_ _HUP! HUP! HYAH! SHAAK!"_

 _A small blue blur scaled the cliff, easily jumping up the rocky cliff face. His dark skin was covered in sweat, as the sun shone down on him. The boy wearing the blue and white striped shirt and black backpack was none other than_ _ **Sol**_ _himself, armed with a single pickaxe and a lanyard._

 _And he was engaging in his second-favorite hobby; Mountain climbing._

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Wait, Second favourite?"_**

 _ **"**_ _ **Yes. I prefer surfing over mountain climbing. We are a coastal village, after all."**_

* * *

 _Sol swung the pickaxe into the cliff face, before pulling a grappling hook out of his backpack, throwing it up onto a nearby ledge, and pulling himself towards it._

 _He smiled, pulling out a water bottle from his bag. He stared out onto the crashing waves that struck the beach, eternally rolling on. Leaning back, the boy removed his black cap and let the wind blow through his hair…_

* * *

 _ **"**_ _ **Weren't you in danger of falling?"**_

 _ **"**_ _ **I'm getting to that."**_

* * *

 _The boy looked down at the deep river, literally 20 metres below him. It wasn't exactly a tall cliff and, to be fair, while he had fallen down several times before, the bushes and river below always broke his fall._

 _Also, the river led straight to the bridge near his house, meaning he'd get swept back home. How convenient._

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Oh."_**

 _ **"**_ _ **So, I was really in no danger at all. I did this every day, even to this day. But today was special."**_

* * *

 _"_ _SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

 _Sol glanced up above, and spotted a girl wearing a white dress, red rooster hat and holding onto a branch for dear life above him. She had similarly coloured skin to him, and he guessed she was probably from his village as well._

 _He stood up, and called out to the girl, "It's okay! I got you! Besides, if you fall, you'll land safely in the river! Not that it's a very long fall, but still a fall nonetheless. Then again, you can argue that-" "ARE YOU GOING TO SAVE ME FROM FALLING OR JUST STAND THERE GOING ON ABOUT THIS CLIFF FACE?!" the girl yelped, "I DON'T WANNA DIE! I HAVEN'T EATEN ALL THE EGGPLANTS I WANNA EAT IN MY LIFE YET!"_

 _'_ _Hmm, what a horrible fate to suffer.' Sol pondered, before calmly reaching up, and picking up the girl from the branch that was literally 1 meter above him._

* * *

 _ **Luna slapped Sol, "WHAT?! I SO DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT WAS 1 FREAKING METER!" Sol laughed, "It was! You were just so scared, that you didn't notice the ledge!"**_

* * *

 _Sol sat the shaking girl down, "Are you ok?" She nervously looked over the side of the ledge, before promptly throwing up over the rocks._

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _I can't lie here…" Luna blushed, "I did blow chunks off the side off the cliff." "See? What did I tell you?" Sol smirked, "I remember it clearly." "…Maybe I'll tell the story from here." "Ah, no, I got this."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Oh, get on with it."_**

 _ **"**_ _ **Okay then."**_

* * *

 _"…_ _What is your name?" Sol asked. "…Aren't you Nate from the village below?" she asked, running her fingers through her black hair, "I'm_ _ **Katie Carlson.**_ _But most people call me_ _ **Luna**_ _." "…Yeah, I'm Nate from the village. Nice to meet you." He narrowed his eyes at the girl, "You seem awfully familiar… Just can't put my finger on it."_

 _The girl smirked, "Of course I am, dummy. I live directly next door to you!" "…Sorry, I don't see you around town much." Sol shrugged, "I just get so hung up doing homework that I don't really get to travel around often." "Sure. And when you do, I'm guessing it's up this bigass cliff?" Luna shook, hugging Sol._

 _Sol shrugged, "… Yeah. I'm a lonely guy." "Well, lonely as you are, we're still stuck on this cliff." Luna muttered, "Any idea how to get down?" "Well, if we jump, we can make it into the river." Sol shrugged, "It's quite simple. We jump, wash down the river to our homes, and then we climb out."_

 _She looked at Sol, concern in her eyes, "…Are you sure this is safe?" "Trust me. Wait, how did you get up here?"_

 _Luna blushed, "Ah… Well, I was riding on dad's (UNKNOWN POKEMON), and… I guess a strong wind blew me off…" "Alright then. Reasonable enough. Grab onto my bag." Sol smiled, "Hold on tight."_

 _Luna did so, riding on Sol's back, "Don't tell my parents, please… I'm never allowed to fly often, but it's a hobby of mine…" Sol nodded, "I understand. Trust me here, Luna, your secret is safe with me!"_

 _He ran off the ledge, clipping his pickaxe to his side, "Now,_ ** _LETS-A-GO!_** _"_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Yes, I have a Wii U. Why did you ask?"_**

 _ **"…**_ _ **No comment."**_

 ** _"_** ** _AHHHHH-OOF!"_**

* * *

 _There was a small splash below, as the duo landed in the river, getting swept back to Sol's house._

 _Sol climbed out of the river, "Ok, you can get off my back now."_

 _Katie nodded, wringing out her hat,_ _ **"…YOU IDIOT! YOU NEARLY GOT US KILLED!"**_ _Sol smirked, "I assured you that we would be safe, didn't I? Well, we're on dry land now, right? We should be fine."_

 _"_ _Whatever, I'm just glad that my parents didn't spot me riding on you, jumping off that cliff." she sighed, hugging Sol, "I mean, they would literally kill me." The duo laughed, before turning around…._

 _…_ _And spotting Luna's parents standing behind them, open mouthed._

 _Luna promptly kicked Sol into the river,_ ** _"YOU BLOODY (UNKNOWN EXPLICATIVE)!"_**

* * *

"Yeah. Then, after that, I convinced her parents that they should let their daughter do more sports like that. And they agreed!" Sol finished, "We've been thrill seekers ever since! Hell, they even noticed Luna's flying habits."

"How?" I asked, "I'd have thought you would've been more discreet about…" "Yeah… It's hard to stay discreet when you're buzzing your home village." Luna shrugged, "They knew it all along, and decided that it would be ok for her to keep flying."

I nodded, "And who are **Litty** and **Rowly**? Your pokemon?"

Sol nodded, "I'll tell you more after the operation. We are here."

* * *

 **[Phase 6: Zero Mission]**

 _This is it._

 _The moment I've been waiting for._

 _Snivy adjusted his visor, assault rifle raised, "All units, move out!" "ALRIGHT!"_

 _The Alolan team ran out, dodging gunfire, as the armoured units followed behind, X drawing the metal tube from his belt, "The time has come for battle." The green glowing blade extended from his handle, as he swung it around, "United we stand, divided we fall! NOW! TAKE 'EM ALL OUT!"_

 _Snivy smiled, "Prepare for battle, team!_ ** _NOW, MAVERICK HUNTERS, INTO THE BREACH!_** _"_

* * *

 _[BATTLE!]_

I ran onto the battlefield, firing yellow bolts of energy from my arm cannon, "ALRIGHT! TIME TO SHREKT THESE SCRUBS! **EEEEEEEDDDDDD CAAAATCHEEERRR!** " My arm cannon charged up a larger blue ball of death, firing it to wipe out a squad of droids in a single shot. A sensor beeped. I whipped around, blasting an enemy behind me.

X calmly walked through the battlefield, green sabre slashing all around him. He was a dancer, the green laser blade part of his arm. A droid holding a pistol took aim at him, but he calmly kicked the drone to the ground, picking up the energy pistol. His yellow scarf blew in the wind, as the shots lit up his face in a yellow light. Eventually the pistol ran out of energy, and he tossed it straight into a droid's power core, blowing it up. He drew his sword, " _Est-ce le meilleur que tu as?_ My _Mamie_ can defeat you guys with her knitting!"

 ** _"_** ** _Attention, mon ennemi. Soon, your enemy will be the end of you…Décimer fasciste impudente, 'X'! MAINTENANT!"_**

X narrowed his eyes, " **Sigma.** "

* * *

A giant war mech entered the battlefield, with the Team Flare logo emblazoned on the front, "X…Or, shall I call you 'Zero'? _Une rose sous un autre nom sentira aussi doux._ " "Well, I'm here to end your evil desires! I am Zero! Hero of Kalos! AND YOU! ARE! DEAD MEAT!" X declared, engaging the enemy.

 _X's battle of spirit had only just begun._

* * *

 _"_ _GO FOR IT!_ _ **SQUIRTLE! IVYSAUR! CHARIZARD!**_ _"_

The trio landed on the battlefield, mowing down the enemy in a blaze of flame, waves and vines, "We got this, guys!" Squirtle kicked a droid in the face, grabbing a pistol from it as it fell. The droid got back up, just in time for the water type to blast it in the face with his own weapon. Running from the explosion lasers blazing around him, the tiny turtle snatched up another gun, "And now, I'm dual wielding. **EAT PLASMA, TRASHCANS!** "

Charizard dodged a missile, kicking the droid who fired it in the legs. He picked up the iron mass, tearing it to scrap metal with his claws, "There's too many of them, and too little of me!"

He flew headlong into the hordes, lasers striking his wings. He gave a cry of pain, as blood flowed out of his battered wings, "…If you want to defeat us… **You'll have to face my dragon punch!** "

Fists flying, he shredded another unit, before coming across a massive tank. The autonomous tank slowly rotated its turret at him. Charizard gave a grim smile, "And I thought the droids were silly enough."

 **"** **GET DOWN!"**

Suddenly, a grenade flew into the turret, blowing the vehicle up in a blaze of orange flame.

Charizard turned around, and saw his saviour; a female Blastoise holding a grenade launcher. In the light wind that blew, a red headband on her head swayed in the wind. Over her eyes was a pair of night vision goggles, and covering the front of her shell was a large Kevlar vest.

She raised the goggles, uncovering her cerulean eyes; serious and focused on the battle.

Charizard rubbed his own emerald eyes, love-struck, "…I think I just wet myself."

" **Blasty Oren.** Now, soldier, you gonna help defend the homeland or not?" the Blastoise, now known as one of Snivy's pokemon, asked, tossing Charizard an iron blast shield and a minigun.

The pokemon lowered her goggles again, "30 hostiles incoming: North east. Are you up to the challenge, or still pissing yourself?"

Char smiled, " **Talk is cheap.** C'mon!"

* * *

Ivysaur swung his vines around him, knocking the attacking drones aside, "I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to fight robots… But here I am, vines swinging." The droids ran at him, guns of all manner shooting him. The pokemon gasped, generating a leaf shield around him. _'I can't keep shielding forever! Somebody, HELP!'_ Ivysaur gasped, looking around him.

 **"** **Uh, Blasty? Little help here?! No? DAMNIT!"**

Ivysaur blinked, "…That was a female Ivysaur… Hot chick in danger… **I'MA COMIN' TA SAVE YO ASS, WOMAN!** '

Well, that escalated quickly.

Instantly, the grass-type dashed over, kicking several droids out of the way, " **OUTTA THE WAY! LONELY IVYSAUR COMING THROUGH!** " "…Oh, (Bleep)."

The Ivysaur collided with the other Ivysaur (Oh dear.), before helping her up, "Alright, what's the job?"

The female pokemon smirked, "Well, you certainly did the job. I'm one of Snivy's. **Ivy Oren**." She had a slouch hat on her head, and a sniper rifle held between two vines, " You're Ed's Ivysaur, eh? Well, I guess you'll do."

Ivy loaded her sniper rifle, raising it to an eye, " I'll snipe. Guard us."

"Copy that!"

* * *

X swung his blade around, " **KATENGIRI!** " The giant mech recoiled, "You have given me no choice, Zero. The time has come…"

 **"** **Omega X, ATTACK!"**

A blue blur struck the red swordsman to the ground. She wore a dark blue armoured suit, with a black visor over her eyes. Her arm had a blue Mega Arm connected, with a blue energy sword coming out of her other arm.

 **Y** was standing before X. And she had turned.

X looked up, "How dare you turn my own allies against me?"

"Oh, this one was easy to control. She _loved_ you, Zero. But now, her love will be your demise! **Omega** , **KILL THE INFIDEL!** "

X raised his sword, a tear falling from his eye, "…Very well. Prepare yourself, my enemy!"

The two ran at each other, weapons raised.

 _"_ _Let's finish this!"_

* * *

I charged a charged shot in my Mega arm, wall-jumping up the mech, "Oi! Cheap Megaman boss! **EAT BUSTER SHOTS!** " The mech flexed its arm, trying to shake me off, as I unloaded as many plasma bolts from my lemon shooter as I could. Not to be beaten, the war machine fired several hundred lasers from its laser turrets at me.

I leapt off, smiling, "Well, least you aren't melting into yellow metal and reforming on the other side! Is this the part where I get to copy your master weapon yet? Probably should've beaten Metal Man first!" Snivy shook his head, firing hundreds of shots at the droid from his assault rifle, "Alright, Rock. We get the idea. Now, stop making references to 90's NES games, and let's kick some metal ass!"

I shook my head, "Aw geez. Don't be such a Bass!"

We ran at the rouge general again, powered up.

* * *

X dodged a few plasma bolts from Y's Mega Arm, "Can't… dodge forever…" The enemy silently jumped behind him, sword active. X spun as well, weakly raising his sword.

 _"_ _Too fast… Can't…"_

 _He snapped out of his trance, blocking a slash, "I need to kill her… But… I can't….NO! SOLDIER, YOU CAN BEAT HER! YOU ARE ZERO!"_

 _The duo locked blades, laser on laser. X ducked beneath the blade, sword glowing, as the green blade slashed at Omega's back, barely scratching it. In response, it attacked X's head. X screamed, as a small tuft of his hair and his helmet fell. A red liquid splattered his hand; his blood. X, groaning with fury and pain, cut off Omega's cannon. Circulatory fluid- or was it blood?!- spurted out over X's hands._

 _"_ _Her blood…on my hands…No. I need to stand up to this foe!"_

 _"_ _DIE, YOU…YOU…" The enemy turned towards X, fire in her visor._

 ** _"_** ** _I…I CAN'T FIGHT THIS!"_**

 _Omega grabbed X's scarf, blood covering the yellow wool._

 _Her scarf…_

 _Her blood…_

 _On X's body._

 ** _"…_** ** _DAMMIT!"_**

 ** _X gave a final scream, being thrown away from the battlefield, into a destroyed building. His helmet smashed into the iron wall, the blue forehead gem cracking. His armour plating fell, revealing his body, wearing a simple blue hoodie._**

 ** _Blood spilled out from his chest, as X weakly groaned._**

 ** _"_** ** _Mon allié… I've failed you… Kalos…Forgive…me…"_**

 ** _He coughed out some blood, and fell. The yellow scarf lay in the pool of blood…_**

 ** _Zero had fallen._**

 _ **HOPE IS LOST.**_

* * *

 _[Battle Complete?]_

* * *

 _Snivy gasped, "COMMANDER!" I nodded, "He went down so quickly…" "Ed, distract the boss mech! I need to take care of X!" "…That's a negative. RUN!"_

 _We started doing just that, as the enemy leader laughed, "FOOLS! YOU SURELY BELIEVE THAT IT IS HOPELESS TO OPPOSE-"_

 _Snivy stopped, undid the straps on his armoured leggings, lowered his pants, and slapped his bare butt at the enemy, "Eat my shorts, Kalosian (deleted explicative)!"_

 _I turned to him, "Was that necessary?" "Duh! Now, HURRY! We need Zero on the field, or our goose is cooked a million times over!" Snivy yelled, running over to X's limp body._

 _"_ _Get up, Zero! We can't give up now!" Snivy yelled, "We still have a war to win!"_

 _X groaned, "There's no point… Nous ne pouvons pas lutter contre cette... I've failed my homeland…_ _ **Quelle façon de mourir...**_ **_Mon cœur ... Il a volé en éclats._** _"_

 _"_ _I have no idea what the heck you're saying, but we can't stay here." Snivy shook his head, "The building's going to come down over our heads, and I don't think we wanna be in here when it-" "Get outta here! I don't want you here when I die! Find the others, Snivy! Tell them…I died with dishonour…" X groaned, "…Tell my mother… That I wasn't worth being pushed out of her womb…"_

 _"_ _Fine then. If you are gonna be so damn suicidal, I'll just drag you out!"_

Snivy emerged from the building, carrying X over his shoulder. Behind the two, the building slowly began crumbling. X looked to the sky, "…There's no point… If I keep fighting… I'll just end up with a broken-" **"Now I see."**

* * *

Snivy unwrapped the scarf from his neck. He examined it, "So… This was a gift from Y…" "Yes...But Y is…. She…"

 **"** **Y is dead."**

X collapsed on the ground, _"I…I let her die… This wasn't how this was supposed to end…No, this isn't happening…There's no reason to go on…Que…_ _ **Que dois-je bats pour?!**_ _"_

 _The trainer's cry echoed through the battlefield, as X held the bloodied scarf in his hands. The wind blew silently, blowing through X's black hair._

 _I slowly approached X, when Snivy stopped me._

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _I'll tell you who you're fighting for, Zero; Your goal is Y."_**

 _X looked up at Snivy, "What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Y is not dead. In your heart, she is still alive. But that beast… Whatever it is, that ain't her." Snivy muttered, glaring at the army making a slow advance towards us, "So, you must defeat the beast that is dishonouring her name, Zero…" "I can't… It is too powerful…" "That's because the battle you're fighting is material. The enemy is coming from your mind."_

 _Snivy looked at the stars, "She is probably seeing all this too… Wherever she is… And feeling the same things as you are." X sighed, "But I never got to tell her…_ _ **I loved her…**_ _"_

 _"_ _Tell her? Ya dingus, don't tell her!" Snivy shook his head, "Go. Go and fight that beast! Y needs you. Maybe then, she'll know…"_

 _I looked at X, who silently looked to the sky, eyes shut…_

 _He opened them again, fire in his brown irises._

 _ **"…**_ _ **Then, we shall FIGHT."**_

* * *

 **[Phase 7: Combat Evolved]**

 _It is not known what was going through X's mind at the moment he said those words._

 _However, the moment he shut his eyes, a visage of a girl in a red dress appeared before him. The girl turned to face him silently, her red bucket hat shading her eyes. Blond hair flowed out behind her._

 _"_ _X…I know."_

 _It_

 _X smiled, "…This is gonna hurt you more than me, Y. I'll apologise later." He thought back to his booking, the_ _ **two**_ _tickets to the 'Kalos Got Talent Live' show. Two tickets. He would go with Y._ _ **He had promised. He kept promises. He was more than a soldier now. He had a friend he resolved to save.**_

 ** _He wasn't nothing. He wasn't Zero._**

 ** _He was Xavier 'X' Calem._**

 _ **He was X once more.**_

* * *

 **"** **On se revoit! Viens à moi!"**

X raised his sabre, a cocky smile on his face. His yellow scarf blew in the wind, as the green glow of the blade melted into the night sky. I marched behind him, towards Sigma. Snivy loaded his assault rifle, the moonlight in his gold visor.

"So, the hero foolishly tries to end a nirvana… How _Amusant._ " Sigma laughed. X smiled, "Maybe. **_En Garde!_** "

Omega X ran from behind us, guns blazing.

X smiled, "Oh yeah, and you have called the wrong name for me. I dunno, maybe someone else you know is called Zero."

 **"** **But for now, I AM X!"**

* * *

[BATTLE!]

* * *

" **OI! FATTY!** "

The leader turned to face us, "Who DARES oppose-" "Wow, real original." Snivy yawned, "Let it rip!"

I spun into the enemy, my arm cannon aflame with plasma bolts, "What is this, Beyblade? Aw well." The enemy ran at me, " _Foolish little mouse!_ "

The clunky metal monster approached me slowly, rocket launchers aimed at me. Several iron missiles flew out, screaming explosive death as they flew at me. I jumped into the air, charging a shot on my Mega Arm. It shook with the power of my modified Snag Arm. I was pushing the armour to the limit. But hey.

 _"_ _Seigen wa yabura reru tame ni imi shite imashita!"_

I fired the massive blue plasma ball of death at the mech, severely damaging its left leg. While the mech faltered, Snivy took the opportunity to climb on the back of the mech, spamming his laser pistol at the back.

 _Inside his helmet, Snivy smiled. This was where he belonged. This was who he was._

 _He never saw the giant iron fist slamming into his helmet._

* * *

"SNIVY!"

The mercenary slammed into a concrete wall, his black helmet's visor shattering. Snivy gave a short yelp, "No… Not like this…"

 **"** **SNIVY!"**

* * *

The two guards turned to look at each other.

One of them spoke, "Y'know, it's kinda boring out here."

The other one shook his head, "C'mon. There is always something we can talk about. Like… What about that bigass sword I got the other day?"

"Cloud, nobody cared about that bigass sword."

"Shut up, Zack. You'd care if we were strong enough to use it!"

"Dream on. There is no way any of us are strong enough to swing that around."

"…What if I got genetic augmentations?"

"In your dreams, Cloud Str-"

 **"** **HELP! RABID LITTEN! RABID LITTEN!"**

The two guards turned around, and spotted a boy in blue screaming and running around the base. The first guard blinked, "Uh… This is the middle of Kalos. In a desert. How did you get here?" "More importantly, what is a Litten?" the second guard questioned.

Sol shrugged, "Ok, then. **ATTACK, LITTY!** "

A black and red cat jumped from the base's roof, attacking Zack, **"OH GOD! IT'S EATIN MAH BRAINS! SHOOT IT! SHOOT IT!"** Cloud fell to the ground, clutching his throat, **"OH GOD! I'M FATALLY ALLERGIC TO CATS!"**

Sol raised an eyebrow, "Uh… Don't you mean cat _hair?_ "

Cloud shook his head, "No, just cats in general…"

"…Why are you not choking?"

"Sorry. **GAAAAAK!** "

The guards fell to the ground, as Luna and her Rowlett climbed out of some bushes nearby, "How is he not dead?" Sol shrugged, stealing the guard's armoured pauldron, "I dunno. Hey, Luna, if I gelled my hair into spikes like that, how would I look?" The Alolan girl shrugged, "…Really, really dumb."

Sol sighed, putting the armour into his bag, "Well, the C4's going to blow up any time now. We should get to the front and help X." "Sure."

The duo ran off, Luna carrying a massive sword she had randomly found in the guard house.

 _"_ _It's lighter than it looks."_ she mused, "I can totally give this to X!"

* * *

 **"** **SNIVY!"**

 _…_

 _…_

 _No!_

 _I can't give up now!_

 _Not after I've made it here!_

 _I must…_

 _No, I will continue!_

 _Snivy opened his eyes. The cold night air blew against his face. His brown hair blew in the wind. He got up slowly, blue eyes scanning the area. Then, he pulled out his pistol, his stolen Battle AR sparking into life._

 _He looked down at the shattered visor, and saw his face reflected back. Scarred, bloodstained and wounded._

 _But it was smiling. This was his true face._

 _Or, should he properly say…_

 _ **Her true face.**_

* * *

I groaned, as the mech grabbed me in one of its massive iron fists. The driver laughed, "Look at you. Surely, even a fool like you can see it is futile to fight!" I gave a grim smile, "Sure, that's what she said." "I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE TIN CAN YOU ARE!"

I wiggled a finger at him, "Nope. There is a human being under all this… Attractive getup. Gets the girls every time! Besides…"

I motioned to his rocket launchers, "Those massive guns are clearly compensating for… _Something, if ya know what I mean._ "

" **SILENCE! I shall have you for myself!"**

I laughed, "What? Really?! Well, considering I sleep next to another guy… Eh, why not."

 **"** **What are you implying?"**

"You're definitely gay."

 **"** **WHAT?! I AM NOT HOMOSEXUAL!"**

"Still gay."

He raised a minigun to my face, " **TAKE IT BACK NOW, MORTAL!"**

"Sorry. I'm not implying you're gay…"

 ** _"_** ** _I'm simply implying YOU'RE AN ASS!"_**

I fired my charged shot at his head, jumping away using a small burst from my jet boots. I triumphantly skidded to a stop on the ground before him, swinging my fists at him, **"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IS THAT ALL YA GOT?!"**

The mech raised a massive laser cannon, aiming at me, **"DIE!"**

 _Wait, he had that too?_

I sighed, dodging laser blasts, "Yep, he's definitely compensating."

As much as I was busy annoying my enemy, I was still playing with danger. I knew I couldn't dodge his blasts forever, and those missile launchers (As over the top as they were) weren't letting up.

I groaned, dodging a hail of gunfire, "I really need to learn to stop taunting bosses and actually fight them."

 **"** **Heads up!"**

Suddenly, a black blur struck the mech's head, armoured boots flying as it pummelled it with a flurry of kicks, before spamming laser blasts from its pistol. The mech's head exploded, as the driver let out an infuriated yell.

The black figure landed next to me, _"Guess you should be thankful."_

* * *

 _She had a short brown ponytail, with blue eyes. Her body was covered by a black armoured suit, as she turned to face me._

 _And she gave me a wry smile._

 _"_ _Sorry for lying to you."_

I blinked, "S..Snivy?"

"We'll continue talking later." she replied, snapping back to her badass attitude, "There is a weak point on the back. Now, I want you to stand here, and be bait." I nodded, "R…Right! Gotcha!"

No time to be distracted now, Ed.

Empowered, I loaded my shotgun, opening up with several blasts to the beast's iron body, **"COME AND GET SOME!"**

* * *

X dodged several blasts from Y, raising his sword, "I… I can't take her on alone! Strong as I am… I need backup!"

Shaking his head, X sliced one of the many cables sticking out of the enemy's body. A neon blue fluid came out, wetting X's arm, "First Blood. Feeling tired yet?" The beast gave no reply, charging at X once more. This time, X wasn't able to dodge her advance, and was knocked back into a wall behind him.

The monster gave an unearthly cry, running at the soldier. X clutched his bleeding arm, "So… This is where it ends… Y… If you are still in there…"

Choking on tears, X uttered the final sentence, "I… **I LOVE YOU! NO MATTER WHAT FORM YOU TAKE, NO MATTER WHO SENDS YOU AGAINST ME, I LOVE YOU! NOW, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO FINISH ME, DO IT, SO I MAY BE WITH YOU ONCE MORE, EVEN FOR THE MOST BRIEF OF MOMENTS! I LOVE YOU, YOLANDA!"**

Suddenly, almost as if an answer, lasers rained down from above, stopping the monster in its tracks.

 **"** **XAVIER! USE THIS!"**

A boy in red ran onto the battlefield, tossing X a bow and a shield. X turned to face the boy, "Who-" "I'll tell you later! For now, use these weapons!"

X raised the shield, blocking Y's charge. The hero of Kalos smiled, "Y, sincerely, I apologise for what I do now. This will be painful… But I must do it!"

X raised the bow, drawing the bowstring back. A shining arrow appeared in his hands, nocked in the bow. X smiled, "Mega stone generation. I never thought this day would come."

The arrow glowed with unearthly energy, as he aimed the bow. He closed an eye, uttering a quick prayer.

 ** _"_** ** _Xerneas! Hear my call!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _For generations, you have aided my people. You have aided them in so many manners…"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Xerneas, may my aim be true, and may this weapon free my friend!"_**

The hero of Kalos released the arrow. It spun in the air, glowing brighter. It shone like it was made from pure light itself. The monster gave another unearthly scream, as the shining arrow struck it in the chest. X, not wasting another second, ran at the beast, **_"AND MAY I BE FREE AS WELL!"_**

 _He drew his sword, green energy blade flaring up._

 _X jumped into the air, slicing at the monster's head._

* * *

 _In an instant, all was silent. X and Y remained frozen in time._

 _X's face became dead set. The blue fluid covered his arm._

 _The wind blew silently, as the ground around them was illuminated by the green glow from X's sword._

 _And yet…_

 _The two remained, frozen in time._

 _This moment lasted forever._

 _The wind…_

 _…_ _it is blowing…_

* * *

Y fell, the helmet falling off. X switched off his energy blade, rushing to remove the suit from Y, "Y? Tell me you're alive! Please... I don't want you to-"

Suddenly, the gloved hand clamped around X's. All was silent. X reached for his pistol with his free hand…

Then, a new voice. A voice that seemed familiar to X. A voice that always calmed him.

The voice of a friend. **The voice of Yolanda.**

 **Her voice.**

 ** _"…_** ** _X…"_**

 _X's heart quickened. He raised his pistol to her head, as millions of thoughts ran through his. What if it was yet another trick? What if it was the demon that possessed her speaking? What if Y was truly dead? What if this was just a ploy to ensnare him?_

 _Then, a new thought._

 _So? At least I'll die hearing her voice once more._

 _X hugged Y._

 _"…_ _She's safe… The ghost type that was controlling her was eradicated when the_ _ **Light Synergy Arrow**_ _passed through her. It worked…"_

 _X smiled, not looking up from his friend. Not caring who said that sentence. The world vanished. The only thing that mattered now was her. Y was his world._

 _And he couldn't care less about anything else than her now. He would fight through a million enemies. He could fight a million battle mechs. But without her… X was truly Zero._

 _He nodded slowly, as her blue eyes fluttered open._

 ** _"…_** ** _X…"_**

 _"…_ _Yes?"_

 ** _"…_** ** _You were right…"_**

 _"_ _Yes, I truly love you…"_

 _"…_ _That did hurt..."_

* * *

X stood up, holding the soldier in his arms, "Y… I…I'm so sorry…" "No need." She smiled, "I'm sorry for… Well…" The two stared awkwardly at each other, before X remembered where he was.

And he remembered the voice behind him.

He spun around, "Thank you. May I please know who you-" **"My name is Red. This is Yellow."**

Red turned to face the reader, "Well, if I didn't show up enough in this chapter, you'd get angry, right?"

And not a moment too soon, Red. Not a moment too soon.

* * *

I rolled out of the way of several blasts, as Snivy fired her assault rifle at the back of the mech, her single ponytail blowing about wildly in the wind, "We're out-gunned!" Snivy gave a laugh, "Out-gunned? That's the story of my life! Out-gunned, Out-numbered, and Out-of-place!"

Snivy pulled a grenade from her waist, tearing the pin out wither teeth before lobbing it into the vehicle's exhaust port, "Guess I should tell you my name. **Kate**. **Kate Oren** , the daughter of Dave Oren." We ducked behind some debris, as Kate loaded a grenade launcher (Which she apparently took out from her bag as well), "I used to be a pilot and general back in Orre. That's all over now, of course… But tell me, were you confused as to why I'm like this?"

I shrugged, "Is it because you finally took that helmet off? I'd get pretty excited if I had to take a big, heavy bucket like that off my noggin."

 _'_ _Oh, okay.' Kate thought to herself, smirking._

"No. It's because… Well… You are the first person to tell me I was more than a hired gun. When I heard your speech to N… I dunno. Something inside me opened up. I felt… like I belonged somewhere…" she sighed, firing several grenades at the mech, "You actually remind me of me when I was…" I nodded, "Right, gotcha. I'm still not exactly comfortable with you, though-" "Ed, we're not friends. But you trust me, right?" "And I think you trust me too… sort of." "…Yeah. Anyway, after this whole farce is over, I'm leaving. But thanks for telling me that message…"

I smiled, "Well… I suppose so…But it's just so fast." "…Me too. But we're different, Ed."

She ran at the mech, grenades flying, "For now, just help me kick this guy's ass!"

I jumped up, arm cannon blazing, "Got it!"

 **"** **HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY MATERPIECE?!"** the enemy leader yelled, **"I SHALL CALL DOWN SO MANY OF MY UNDERLINGS UPON YOU FROM THE SKIES! THEY SHALL BLOT OUT THE MOON!"**

Kate and I smiled, yelling at the same time, "Then we shall fight under the shade!"

 **"** **ATTACK!"**

Nothing.

 **"** **ATTACK! DECIMATE THEM!"**

Nothing.

 **"** **KILL THEM! KILL THEM!"**

Hey, guess what happened? NOTHING!

I smiled, "Looks like Operation Outer Heaven worked!"

Kate smiled, "Not so tough without your pawns to cover you now, right 'King'?"

* * *

Around the base, the remains of the formidable attack droids smoked and burned. Tracer fired yet another missile at the last squad, "Perimeter secured! Ready to rock out at the final gig!"

* * *

Lyn inspected the generators of the enemy base, "Now… Which button shuts off the power?... Oh, Zapdos, I was never any good at electricity anyway."

In a single slash of her katana, she smashed the computers controlling the power station, before pulling out a crossbow. She tied a grenade on the end of the bolt, and took aim at the generators.

She fired the crossbow with a satisfied nod, before leaving the room as it exploded.

* * *

 **"** **NO! THE BASE!"**

I turned to face the exploding structure. The building couldn't take much more abuse, and collapsed in a smoking heap of rubble. Within the base, several explosions sounded.

Suddenly, from the skies above, three dozen shining dots of light appeared. Like shooting stars, they plummeted to Earth on a path straight towards the remains of the base. These were the full inventory of K1S3K1's missile silo, returning home from their sub-atmospheric voyage.

And written on each one with a marker, in cursive was **_'pour notre allié,et pour Kalos!'_**

It didn't take an entire Kalosian language class to understand. The message in red marker sent a simple message to the Team Flare general.

 _You don't screw around with our friends!_

The missiles pelted the remains, destroying the entire facility. Soon, the base was decimated to complete and utter oblivion by the power known to the world as **K1S3K1!**

Suddenly, my car skidded up, and **Red** and **Yellow** leapt out. There was a ringing of a bicycle bell, and **Sol** and **Luna** rode over the hills on their bikes. **X** ran over, **Y** standing next to him in her blue armour. A jet landed, hovering to the ground, and **Tracer** back-flipped out, the blue power core on her chest shining in the night. Finally, from the bushes, **Lyndis** emerged, with **Mark** following behind her.

X raised his sword, the green glow illuminating the cocky smile on his face, **"Checkmate."**

* * *

 **[Phase 8: Maverick Hunter X]**

 _"_ _Let me sing you all a song today. Try to follow along."_

We ran headlong at the enemy, weapons of all sorts striking the foe. Y unleashed a flurry of plasma bolts from her cannon, as X dashed behind the mech, stabbing his sword into the rear power core. Before the general could react, copious amounts of bullet seeds pelted him from the back.

 _"_ _You and I were born…"_

Luna ducked behind a wall, "Rowly, **SOLARBEAM! SOLARBEAM!** "

Wait, what?

 _"_ _Right here, in the same world…"_

Somehow, the starter unleashed a massive solarbeam from within its wings, and blasted the mech's left arm off.

"Now it's my turn!" Sol declared, sending out his starter, **"If she gets to use the hax, so do I! FIREBLAST!"**

The fiery cat licked its paw, before unleashing a massive fire ball (Trivia time! The character that appears when you use Fire Blast in the games is actually the Chinese character for 'big', **ta**. Essentially, it is stating the obvious; you are shooting a big ball of flaming cheapshot death, and your enemies are gonna die by the power of dying. The more you know!).

The enemy stood up, firing at the Alolan duo. Suddenly, a blue blur spun onto the field, a green ponytail flowing behind it.

 _"_ _For this one brief life…"_

Lyn jumped on the mech's back, sword flashing in the moonlight. The clash of metal rang through the night sky. Surge's niece had been unleashed, and she was sparking with fury.

"NOW IT'S MY TURN!"

Mark jumped onto the field, creating an axe on a chain using water, and swinging it wildly at the enemy. The duo landed next to each other, Lyn sheathing her sword triumphantly. The battle mech slowly made its way towards her, sparking and smoking…

 _"_ _We're beneath the same sky."_

"Here comes the cavalry, kiddies!" Tracer screamed as she transformed into a blue ball of death. She was literally running circles around the enemy, laser pistols blazing. Running up the droid, Commander Snow struck a dramatic pose in mid-air, raining plasma bolts from the sky. Red smiled, sending out Pika, **"THUNDER!"**

Yellow flew into the air using her Butterfree, pulling out a rope and swinging it at the mech. She tied up the arms, "I'm holding the mech! It won't hold for lon-"

It fired a missile at me, **"DIE, ORRAN SCUM!"**

 _"_ _The great flow of time…"_

My eyes shrunk, "Oh, shit-"

* * *

 _"_ _The wide expanse of space…"_

 _Kate's blue eyes narrowed, as she sprung into action. Her Orran running boots, or as she and the Orran soldiers nicknamed them, 'Dash Boots', flared into life. Her power core, powered by a weak_ _ **Synergy Stone**_ _, burned bright as her adrenalin surged through. The girl transformed into a lightning bolt, running at full speed. The commando's body ached all over, as her armour cracked off. The blue core on her chest slowly turned orange, then red._

 _"_ _We are lucky enough…"_

 _Red like the blood streaming out of her arm. Red like the iron on her pokeball grenades, now exploding over her belt as she reached ungodly speeds. Red like her vision, slowly fading away. Red like the red flashes behind her, the tail of the red lightning._

 _The time was now. Her time had come._

 _"_ _To share this lifetime we get."_

 _Suddenly, a red blur ran in my way. Time seemed to slow, as I looked upon the one who was saving me. Kate turned towards me, her armour breaking off as she ran. Her boots couldn't take any more damage, shown by the burn marks on the boosters, flaming and sparking._

 _"_ _We can gain more if we give…"_

 _She was struck by the missile. In a last ditch effort, she swung her bleeding legs in a powerful flaming kick. She kicked the missile, sending it back towards the enemy._

 _"_ _By taking we only lose…"_

 ** _"_** ** _In the words of my region…"_**

 _"_ _Let us make this a new age."_

 _The missile flew faster and faster at the exposed energy core of the mech, the warhead glowing a brighter fire than ever._

 _ **"**_ _ **UP YOURS!"**_

 _"_ _Where we show our gratitude."_

* * *

There was a massive discharge, as the force of the blast knocked her back, into my arms. She gave a soft grunt, rolling out of my arms. Shakily, she rose to her feet, "Ed… Let's finish this…" I shook my head, "You're injured-"

She fell again, raising her pistol, "Agh! Can't… No… Ed… For me… Finish…"

 _Her eyes fell shut, as the blood loss reached a critical level._

* * *

 _"_ _There's a fragile bud of hope…"_

I stared at the dying ally in my hands in shock. Of all the places Snivy could've died, it was in my hands, protecting me. Why? Why did she do it? Why me?

Why was I the one to watch her die?

 **"…** **YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"** I screamed, her body in one hand, as my arm cannon burned with fury. Even in the short time I knew who she was, she was still worth protecting. In that moment, Edward Catcher became a monster.

I dashed across the battlefield, aiming at the enemy's exposed weak point. Red gasped, "Ed! Don't!" Yellow screamed, "Ed!"

Y's eyes lit up, as X nodded slowly, " **Rock** , permission to engage."

Just what I needed to hear.

I swung my arm, yellow lemons of death raining out. X joined in, swinging his laser pistol to attack. Y ran at the enemy, her own arm cannon blasting away as well, as she wall-jumped up a nearby rock wall, charging up a charge shot, before striking a powerful blow to the chest.

X turned to Red, "Alright, alright. This is it! Show me what you got up your little white tee-shirt's sleeves!" Red shook his head, "Sorry, I got nothin'." "Alright!" X and Y yelled happily, before freezing in their place, "Wait, **YOU DON'T?!** "

"If I did, then I would've used it by now… But I don't…"

 **"** **Heh. Looks like Reddy boy down there hasn't bothered to cast his cute little eyes skywards…"**

 **"** **DEPLOY! NOW!"**

Suddenly, two mysterious trainers fell out of the skies, as a Charizard flew overhead. One tossed me a bracelet and a small glowing stone, "Use this **Charizardite X** on your Charizard! Hurry!"

I nodded, slamming on the bracelet over my free arm. I whistled for Char, and he flew over.

"What's the-" he froze when he spotted the glowing stone of power. A wry grin appeared over the dragon's face.

 _"_ _Now we're playing with power!"_

* * *

 **[Phase 9: Rainbow Four: Siege]**

The two mysterious figures landed before us. One held a massive bazooka over her shoulder, while the other landed and sent out his own Charizard. "You called, hon?" the girl called.

Red rolled his eyes, " **Blue** , shall we?"

 _"_ _Blooming in each of our hearts."_

The orange haired boy nodded, his face dead set on the enemy, "Red, your call. I've got nothing." Red smiled, "Alright, **RAINBOW FOUR! Yellow, Green! Take the rear! Blue and I got the frontal armour covered!** Team… **'Maverick Hunters'** , was it?"

The Kanto Four charged into battle, the sun shining down on the four heroes, **"Leave it to us!"**

Y shook her head, "Well, somebody wants all the monuments to be of him!" X nodded, drawing his sword, "We're not letting Kalos get shown up by some Kanto flyboy, are we? So let's kick some ass!"

All of us ran into the battle, weapons armed and firing. Red ran behind the mech, firing several thunderbolts from Pika. Blue approached the monster head-on, firing fire around him. Green whipped out the bazooka, firing an explosive warhead out. Yellow tied up the legs, leaving it open for X and Y to attack with a combination of sword slashes and gunfire.

I slammed two fingers on the wristband, and became enveloped in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

 _"_ _Don't you take that away!"_

 _Charizard leapt into the sky, a glowing orb of energy enveloping him. Instantly, the synergy power overcame him. He grew larger and more epic. His orange flames transformed into blue flames of pure plasma. The flames spouted out of him, blue tongues of fire coming from his mouth. He shut his eyes, as he performed one more spin into the skies…_

 _"_ _AWW YEAH!"_

 _His eyes flew open, no longer an emerald shade._

 _They were blue. The blue eyes filled with hope._

 _The eyes of Mega Charizard X._

 _"_ _Our dreams are meant to be shared!"_

* * *

I jumped on Char's back, "FIREBLAST!" We took to the skies, flames blasting in all directions. The mech tried to shield itself once more. Too bad. The attacks had taken their toll on the machine. All that remained was to finish this with the final blow.

And hell, did we have that final blast.

We flew straight through the core, enveloped in blue fire. X jumped into the air, stabbing his sword into the rear energy core. Y blasted a massive plasma wave through the steel. Sol and Luna unleashed their strongest attacks.

The 4 Kanto Trainers sent out their respective starters; Red's Venusaur, Blue's Charizard, Green's Blastoise and Yellow's Pikachu (Chu Chu), before launching their most devastating assaults. The concentrated beam of attacks was punctuated by Tracer's energy rounds, Lyn's crossbow bolts, and Mark's Hydro Pump.

* * *

 _I landed on the other side, walking away from the pile of scrap metal._

 _But I wasn't finished yet._

 _The mech burst into a flower of fire. Parts rained down over us. Kate's body, still lying limp over my shoulder stirred for a second._

 _I turned to it, before noticing her shivering softly. I lowered her to the ground, "Hey… Are you Ok? You took a missile blast back ther-" She remained motionless. Silent._

 _Almost as if she had died._

 _Millions of thoughts ran through my head. They spun. A mixture of anger, sadness, loneliness and darkness built up within me. I couldn't explain it. All of a sudden, a single sentence rang through my brain. And I decided to act upon it._

 _"_ _You killed her, Sigma…_ _ **You KILLED HER!**_ _"_

 _I jumped back towards the smouldering pile, and everything else was a blur. Iron upon iron. My iron gauntlets smashed in the dented steel, pulling out the mech driver; a simple soldier wearing the red Flare uniform._

 ** _"_** ** _YOU DECEIVED ME!"_** _I roared, drawing my own weapon._

 _The pilot shook, as I grabbed his throat. X and Y started yelling at me, but all but my target escaped me. Now, the pilot tried hopelessly to escape. I smashed him into his own mech, a loud crack following the breaking of his back. He got up shakily, attempting to run from me. No. Today, I let nobody live. This soldier had caused more than enough damage to all of us. I may not be able to harm the son of a bitch controlling the army from his base…_

 _But I could happily spread this man's blood across the ground._

 ** _"_** ** _GET UP! DAMN GET THE HELL UP! FACE YOUR DEATH LIKE THE F(Bleep)KING ASSHOLE YOU ARE! WHEN I'M DONE, I'LL LICK YOUR BLOOD FROM MY FINGERS!"_** _I screamed, breaking his arms and legs. The pilot screamed, as I snatched the gun from his hands. I crumpled it into scraps instantly, listening to his beautiful screams._

 _I thought about the struggle X went through, living each day feeling like he was nothing. Sol and Luna, the two children swept up in all this. Lyn, the lonely swordswoman, and Tracer…._

 _The horror ended tonight. I crushed the skull of the enemy, holding my Mega Arm to his chest._

 _My parents appeared before me, their ghostly visages glaring at me from the shadows…_

 _"_ _Ed…Don't do this…"_

 _My brown eyes blinked for a second, before the fire in the background reflected in them. My eyes flashed red._

 ** _"_** ** _SHUT UP!"_**

 _There was a blast of electricity, and circulatory fluid splattered my armour. The red oil stained the blue armour…_

 ** _So, even this was a fake…_**

 _I tore the droid apart._

 _Suddenly, a bolt of electricity struck me._

 _And I fell to the ground…_

 _Fading away…_

 _As I fainted, I saw a flash of long brown hair over my eyes…_

 _Followed by a black combat glove._

* * *

…

…

 _…_ _Wake up…_

 ** _…_** ** _Ed…Wake Up…_**

I slowly opened my eyes. A flickering white florescent light lit up the room. I was in the base's holding chambers…

The door was open. I stood up, and slowly approached the door.

 **"** **Anger… It's a funny thing."**

I looked up to see X and Y standing before me. X sighed, "Following the defeat of the enemy boss, you went on a rabid attack on the mech… Why the hell did you do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I wanted to stop that beast from harming anyone ever again. Don't you?" I replied, sighing. "No, soldier. Tell me the truth. Nothing but the truth. The clean, uncut version of the events. It was for **her** , wasn't it?" Xavier smirked.

 _I blushed…_

* * *

 _He was right. Of course… Watching her die in my arms… all of a sudden, all the pent up rage I held over the years poured out for this girl. All my emotions, all my anger, my rage all unleashed in that moment._

 _But why?_

 _"_ _Ed."_

 _X smiled, putting his hand on my helmet, removing it, "This armour… This modified training armour… I made it myself. I made it for a friend to wear… I gave it a Mega Stone heart, I sprayed the plating blue, I screwed the arm cannon together. I made you… What you are now."_

 _"_ _But the burning in your heart, I didn't put there."_

* * *

I looked at X, hanging my head, "…Sometimes, I wonder if I should just give up. I'm just as bad as the 'bad guys'…"

X chuckled, "I don't see the enemy helping me save Y, or helping us battle that massive enemy. Ed… You're just a lost boy, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. So… when Atlas held up the world, it was his duty. But our own duty is as defenders. Except we aren't just fighting to defend the homeland today… Ed, we've lost every last thing to the enemies… But we've gained everything to avenge."

"So, clean the oil off you. I'm holding a celebratory party tonight. Tomorrow though… I'll explain our next move."

 _I saluted, "Understood! X… I'm sorry…"_

 _"_ _Don't worry;_ _ **I am too.**_ _"_

 **"** **For honour…"**

I walked out of the cell slowly.

 **"** **For Kalos…"**

I replaced the helmet on my head.

 **"** **And for our friends."**

* * *

 **[Phase 10: MISSION COMPLETE!]**

[Base 'Kirito', Luminose Badlands, Kalos]

I entered the command centre, turning to Y, "So, you must be Y." She nodded shyly, "Yes. You must be that guy who gave X the courage to step out and save me… Thanks." Sol walked in, "Really? Well, it was actually Kate who did it, so… Besides, it was probably nothing." Luna shrugged, "Thank the legendaries you are ok! That's all that matters now."

Red walked over to me, "Hey, Ed! Guess what?" I shrugged, "I suck ass, and my rage quit hurt someone."

He rolled his eyes, "Still hung up about that? C'mon. A little tantrum like that happens. Besides, it's only a droid. They got millions of them!" "Not anymore." Blue butted in, walking in. He wore a green shirt with a grey harness across it, as well as grey cargo pants.

"Ah…I was getting to that."Red shook his head, "By blowing up that factory, we managed to curb production of the attack drones. Their armies can only shrink from here on." "Which means that a full scale assault on the mass of their armies can beat them entirely." Yellow chuckled, "They've got nowhere to run!"

X walked over to Red, "Trainer Red…Blue…Green…Yellow…Ed…Kate… We are in your debt. I would be honoured if you choose to aid us in this war."

Red shook his head, "No thanks, X. We prefer doing things our own way. We're travellers. We only have one life, anyway." "Anyway… Where did you find this bow?" X asked, inspecting the glowing bow in his hands.

"Prof Sycamore. He told me to give you this bow. It can fire concentrated Synergy, apparently." Red replied, rubbing the bow, "Like it?" X put it on his back, "Love it. Anyway, what's going on in the city? I trust that they might have a few problems, since we blew up the power station (Completely intentionally, of course)."

Red sighed, "Getting to that too…"

* * *

 _Earlier that night…_

 _[Luminose City, Central Plaza]_

 _Red drove up to the tower in the jeep, unloading a massive generator, "_ _ **Clemont**_ _! Little help here!"_

 _The Gym Leader emerged from the tower, wearing light-blue pyjamas, "Wh…Wha…Oh, hey." "I'm here to install this here generator to the tower. It may not be strong enough to power the whole city, but if the tower goes up, maybe we can-" "Mmf. That's nice." he yawned, "Listen. Do you see how the tower's still lit up?"_

 _Red looked up, and saw (Much to his surprise, confusion and shock) the tower, in all its shining glory. The lights remained shining, the beacon for the region of Kalos. The symbol of hope remained lit. And that wasn't all. The entire city was in its prime, streetlights shining down, shops with the orange glow of indoor lighting._

 _Luminose city was still alive and kicking._

 _"_ _But-How-The-Fu-Shi-Taco-_ _ **WHAT?!**_ _" Red exclaimed, "How does it even work?! The power plant is out!" "We're not dumb. The entire region switched to alternative energy ever since the last time this happened…*Yawn*…And I want to go back to bed now."_

 _"_ _But…The power plant…"_

 _Clemont yawned once more, massaging his temples, "Yeah, it's useless. Well, goodnight, random stranger wearing Ash's hat…Hmm… I wonder how he's getting along with Serena?...Aww well…"_

 _He shuffled back into an elevator, riding it to the top floor of the tower._

 _Red turned towards the generator, and promptly began slamming his head repeatedly against it, "Shit!"_

* * *

[Base 'Kirito', Luminose Badlands, Kalos]

X began feeling faint, "Wait…Y'mean…" Y slumped on his shoulder, " **We didn't have to do all this?** You mean…We could've just launched an airstrike from here… _And do all_ _ **that without attacking the base?!**_ **"**

Green shrugged, " _Pretty much!_ Better luck next time, sweeties!"

Both of them stared at Green in disbelief, before promptly fainting on the ground.

Yellow sighed, "Green, what did we say about breaking it to them _slowly_?" Green laughed, "Where's the fun in that?"

"…Ok, maybe I should've told them slowly…"

* * *

 _I entered the medical bay silently. Lyn was sitting next to Kate, who was lying in a bed unconscious._

 _"_ _Oh, Ed…" Lyn silently said, "Glad to see that you are Ok. I was worried about you out there." I nodded slowly, "H…How is she?...Will she live?"_

 _Lyn sighed, "I wish so… Two broken ribs, burns to her chest, breast and lower body. Her boots and armour are toast. They helped her, but not by much. Blood loss critical; minor internal bleeding. Wounds to face, arms and thigh." "So…"_

 ** _"_** ** _She's really gone."_**

 _There was a moment of silence. A tear fell from my eye, followed by a flood of sadness. I stroked her lifeless hand, and gazed upon her scarred face. Tubes carrying life-support fed into her all over her broken body._

 _She gave her life for mine…_

 _Lyn smiled sadly at me, "And…Even though the scans never showed this… She died with a broken heart."_

 _Why do I feel so sad? I only knew her for a few minutes… But in those few minutes, she was so happy… So carefree… Free…_

 _My tears were now a raging torrent, but I knew it in my heart. No amount of crying could ever bring her back._

 _No amount of tears ever brought back the dead…_

 _I just had to keep moving. Remembering her face. Her cocky grin…_

 _I leaned over her, "Kate…"_

 _And so, a life was lost._

* * *

 ** _No._**

 ** _"_** ** _I refuse to accept this."_**

I stood up, "Say, these are not that serious, are they?" Lyn sighed remorsefully, "She's in an unconscious state now. She's fighting for her life."

 **"** **Bingo. That's all I need to know."**

I unclipped a Hyper ball from my belt, "Find a Team Healer, quick." Lyn blinked, "You're crazy! Are you saying…"

 **"** **When a Pokemon appears, it's fair game. Throw a ball at it, and pray for the love of Arceus it doesn't break. What about a** ** _human?_** **"**

I tapped the ball on her forehead, and the red light surrounded her. _She vanished into the ball._

Lyn shook her head, "I see… So, Kate fainted…A…and…You're…"

 **"** **Burns and fainting; two things a Team Healer heals."** I nodded grimly, carefully placing the iron orb onto the indent in the machine. I tapped the control panel, "I'm issuing extensive treatment. Does broken bones classify as paralysis?" Lyn blinked, "I…I guess?"

 _"_ _Good enough for me." I put my thumb over the activation switch, quivering. What if it failed? What if it killed her? What if it did something even worse to my friend? This was the first time a_ _ **human**_ _had been healed by a device designed to heal_ _ **pokemon**_ _…_

Then again…

We are all the same, essentially.

 ** _Born at arms._**

 _I flicked the switch, as the ball started rotating slowly with a blue glow._

 _3 seconds passed. But they were the longest 3 seconds of my life. I broke out in a cold sweat, scared to touch the ball. The jingle finally played, signalling the end of the healing process._

 _I picked up the orb in a shaking hand, lowering it back onto the bed. I stretched out a single finger, and prodded the button._

 _Here goes nothing._

 _The girl emerged from the ball, teleporting onto the bed. I touched her arm, now smooth and free of scars._

 _"_ _I…It…It worked…_ _ **IT WORKED!**_ _"_

 _I snapped the ball over my knee (Just in case. Y'know what I mean.), before leaning over her._

 _Tiredly, she opened her eyes. The blue eyes met with my own brown eyes once more. A few more seconds passed._

 _She slowly sat up, inspecting her body. She looked down at her now scar-free hands, and then back up at me._

 _Then, she said her first words after her death._

 _ **"**_ _ **Son of a gun."**_

* * *

She climbed out of the bed, "What happened? Why am I… Oh, right." I nodded, "Are you ok?" She nodded awkwardly, "My limbs are feeling a tad sore… Otherwise, I'm fine. Ed… What happened after I went under?"

I hesitated, before moving on to explain the events slowly to her. She raised an eyebrow, "Really? Hmph… Well… Guess I'll stick on." "What do you mean?"

She blushed, "I was planning to run away from you after the battle, but seeing as my armour's toast, and you saved my life… I've made my choice. **I'm joining. The world needs heroes, and hell, am I glad to have a chance at being one.** "

She looked down, realizing she was only wearing a white shirt and a pair of cargo pants, "…Is my armour truly…" "Sadly, yes." I sighed, "Pity. I really liked it."

Then, Kate put her hand over my shoulder, "Eh, what the hell. I'll buy new clothes later. Where are the others?" "Command-" "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, picking up her bag from behind her bed, "Ed, see you there. I need to warn X." **"Warn him?! Of what?"** I asked, confused.

"Ask no questions, hear no lies. Hurry!"

* * *

"Incoming Holocodec message."

X turned towards the screen, "It's the professor. He probably has a message for us. Put it up."

 **"** **Sorry, Zero. Sycamore isn't here now."**

All the rebels gasped, turning towards the screen. X and Y stared at the screen, eyes narrowed.

 **"** **Sigma."**

The Team Flare general laughed, "The one and only. So, you honestly thought that destroying one of my mechs would stop me?"

 **"** **No, but thanks for the sample!"**

* * *

Everyone turned to face the door, and behold, there stood Kate, pistol in hand.

"And who is this? Has your little band of clowns gotten so worthless, they have to hire a whore to do your work?" Sigma laughed.

Kate folded her arms, "Has your little band of fabulous men fallen so far, they need to deploy tin cans to do your dirty work? There's nowhere to run. I know your next move. And hell, am I ready to counterattack." "Ah, a smart girl!"

 **"** **Allow me to explain your entire plan, to save you the effort of talking; you were pulling us away from the tower. The weapon you plan to fire isn't in the desert at all; it was in the city this whole time."**

Everyone stared at Kate, before X nodded, "Wait… The only reason why he would force us to attack that useless power plant is…"

Y gasped, covering her mouth, **"It's a trap!"**

 **"** **Good job, Detective Pikachu. However, I couldn't help but notice that one fact was wrong…"**

* * *

[Luminose City, Northern Sector]

 ** _"_** ** _I saw how long it took for ARMED commandos to destroy one mech…"_**

 ** _"_** ** _HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE UNARMED CIVILIANS TO DESTROY A LEGION OF MECHS?"_**

The policeman slid over the bonnet of his car, "Alpha Unit here! We can't handle this!" On the other end of the radio, the second squad replied, "Delta Squad! Under attack! Moving in for your location!"

A SWAT team member ran up to the cop, gasping, "What the hell are these?!" "I dunno. You're the Special Ops. You tell me." the cop replied, firing his pistol at the head of the mech, "I reckon it's some sort of battlemech." "No shit! Our RPG hardly scratched that thing!" the SWAT replied, "Not to mention that thing's guns ripping through the blast shields like paper…"

Suddenly, the mech aimed its guns at the two of them, the gatling gun's barrel rotating, ready to fire. The SWAT turned to her comrade, "Uh…Can you think of any dramatic last words?" "Er… Never again shall I see, never again shall I hear, never again shall I-" "Too long. I'll just go with the cliché; **KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!** " the SWAT screamed, hugging the cop.

Suddenly, a yellow energy shield fell over the mech, as a Braixen landed inside the dome.

 **"** **Arena set! Braix, use the Burst Attack!"**

 **Lan** jumped onto the scene, "Since that thing's got a Mega Stone in it, if you tap into that thing's **Synergy power** , we can pull off multiple burst attacks at once! C'mon!"

She turned around, finally noticing the two people hugging behind her, "Uh… May I suggest a Café? There's a few down the street… Oh, right. **Lan**. **Lan Hijiri** here, helping y'all kick some metal butt!"

The cop turned to face the SWAT, "…"

 _"…_ _If anybody asks, this never happened."_

 _"…_ _Gotcha."_

* * *

 **"** **From the ashes of a futile world, we shall rule! Nobody shall escape TEAM FLARE-"**

 _Kate's eye twitched._

 ** _"…_** ** _Kate?"_** I asked, taking a few steps back.

 ** _"_** ** _SHUUUUUUTTTTT UUUUUPPPPPP!"_** she bellowed at the screen.

She pulled out her pistol, blasting ten rounds into the screen angrily, "Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, **_Shut up! For Arceus's sake, SHUT YOUR STUPID DAMN PIE HOLE UUUUUUPPPP!_** "

Kate closed her eyes, breathing in calmly to compose herself, "…Hmph. Of course, the Professor isn't there. The very fact the enemy called us from his Holo Caster is an affirmation of that. And Team Flare loves taking hostages. So, using these clues, _where could they have taken him?"_

Y blinked, before shaking her head grimly, "They already told us; _At the very top of Prism Tower._ " I nodded slowly, "Of course. Team Flare has a thing for dramatics. The tower is perfect." "Yeah… And that, X is where you need a plan. I'm a spy, a foot-soldier." Kate explained, "Come up with a plan before tomorrow. Don't rush it, ok?"

 **"** **I already have a few ideas…"** he smiled, a glint in his eye, "Lyn, help me out here."

* * *

 _Kate walked outside, shaking her head. She leaned back, taking in the fresh air for the first time in a while, instead of her helmet's filtered oxygen. It was all over. Her identity was blown, and she nearly died. Now, she had the weight of a region on her shoulders. Was this what it was like? To be a hero? To fight for your allies? Was this how Red felt? Was this how each of the Dexholders felt during their own missions?_

 _She gave a resigned sigh, sitting in the dirt in front of the base._

 **"** **Hey…"**

She turned around, "Oh. Ed." I nodded, "Its-a-me!" She gave a short chuckle, "How do you do it? Feel so calm about each mission?"

"To tell the truth, inside, I'm screaming. Always." I replied, "Kate, have you ever doubted yourself?" "…Always. So, you're telling me that I should be conceited?" "No… I…I was just looking for somebody like myself."

"I never truly felt anything I did was 'good enough' for me… or anybody." I muttered, carefully picking each word, "I…I always felt that each move I made was wrong… and to tell the truth… I have considered ending my life. Multiple times."

Kate stared at me, shocked, "Ed… I never knew…"

 **"** **When I was young, my parents died in the Orre Civil Wars, and I was left under the care of my grandfather. I felt angry. Enraged. I hated every South Orran for it… But one day… In a dream, my parents appeared before me… And… They told me to forgive."**

I turned back to Kate, "And… I know it's silly, listening to a dream… but…" "No. That's stupid." Kate replied, tying her hair back, "Shakespeare said, 'Our lives are but a dream', so technically, we've been dreaming our whole lives. I guess that means… What we do in our lives is up to us. And we might as well spend it helping other. _We can gain more if we give. By taking we only lose…"_

She looked up, "Wait, you just made me answer my own question…" I shrugged, "I guess…"

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Kalos is in distress. We're the last hopes of this land."_**

 _Tracer screwed on a laser sight onto her pistols, nodding slowly._

 ** _"_** ** _Only through our help, can she blossom and grow."_**

 _Sol and Luna turned towards each other, pulling themselves into a hug._

 ** _"_** ** _Who knows what the future brings? Maybe the answer is in the pistols we hold."_**

 _Red slammed his fist into the punching bag even harder, before punching it up into the air._

 ** _"_** ** _But in the end…"_**

 _Lyn picked up a headset, hacking into the enemy's computers._

 ** _"_** ** _This dream is never over."_**

 _X nodded to Y, stroking the wing of their jets._

 _Above them, the emblem of the defence unit shone, reflecting in the hangar's lights._

 _A Fennekin running, a wing on its back._

 _ **The last hope for the region had reawakened.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **You hear that, Sigma? We're coming for YOU!"**_

* * *

 **[Saving…]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

[Viridian City, Kanto]

 **"** **WHAT THE HECK D'YA MEAN, SHE'S NOT HERE?!"**

I threw my arms up in the air, yelling at the official. The official shook his head, "I'm sorry, Miss Leaf, but Green isn't in her gym right now. As such, all challengers must wait for her return." **"THAT'S STUPID! YOU'RE STUPID! THIS GYM IS STUPID! I'M GOING IN ANYWAY!"** I declared, storming in, "You can't keep me-"

 _5 seconds later…_

I ran back out of the gym, covering my eyes, **"TOO MUCH INFORMATION! AAAAAAGGGHHHH!"**

 _How did she even manage to take that photo in the first place?!_

 _ **And why is it displayed in the main lobby?!**_

* * *

I ran back onto the road, "Ok… Calm down, Leaf… Anyway… How do I get to Pewter City from here?"

A random bug catcher walked up to me, "Hey, you have to take the long winding path through Viridian Forest to get there." I turned to him, "Oh. Thank you, exposition guy!" Bulbasaur hopped up onto my shoulder happily, as I climbed back on my bike, "Alright! Brock better get himself ready, because **I'MA GONNA ROCK HIM!** "

I rode at full speed down the road, my hair blowing in the wind behind me.

The bug catcher blinked, _"…Top percentage of Rattatas…."_

* * *

I had left **Pallet Town** this morning, and was well on my way to the next gym (After finding out that Green's Hou-I mean, **GYM** , was closed). I had passed through **Viridian City** , and was about move towards the forest. Then, shit happened.

 **"** **OI! THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, IT IS! YOU DANG KID GET OFFA MA LAWN!"**

I skidded to a stop in front of an old guy… lying on the road?!

Ok, seriously?

I dismounted my bike, "Sir, this is the road." "SHUT UP! GET OFF MAH LAWN!" the old guy yelled, refusing to move off the road. I blinked, "Ok, seriously, why are you lying on the road? I get it's your property, but why are you…" "WE'LL SEE WHO RUSTS FIRST!" he yelled deliriously.

I turned towards a random woman standing nearby, "What's going on?" She shrugged, "Oh, that guy was placed here so that you don't move on to next city before completing the short fetch quest in this city. Head to the Pokemart, pick up **Oak's Parcel** , deliver it to Oak, get your Pokedex, then when you come back, this guy will give you the **Teachy TV**! Also he can be used to catch a LVL 100 Mewtwo as well as encounter MISSINGN-" "Ok, I get it." I sighed, putting my bike back into its ball, "Well, I don't have time for that now. I mean, I'm on an epic journey to beat the league, so… Time to figure out a way past."

"Time for **a mildly entertaining montage.** "

"…Who are you talking to?"

"Somebody other than you."

* * *

 **[Plan A: Ask politely.]**

"Excuse me, sir, but you are blocking my way to-" "SHOOT ME IN THE FACE! SHOOT ME IN THE FACE!" he screamed randomly, slapping me away.

I rubbed my cheek, "What the heck!? I thought this was rated PG only! Alright, Plan B!"

* * *

 **[Plan B: Beat in a battle.]**

"GO, BULBASAUR!"

The grass-type landed in front of me. I raised my fist, "VINEWHI-" **"ARCEUS USE HYPERBEAM!"** the old guy yelled.

"Heh, silly old dude- **WHAT THE DEUCE?!** "

The clouds grew dark, as thunder rained down around us. I gasped, picking up Bulbasaur and running, "Uh… **LEAF AND BULBASAUR RAN AWAY! LEAF AND BULBASAUR RAN AWA-** "

A massive Hyper Beam hit us, blasting us into the air…

And into the Pokemon Centre.

"…Welcome to our Pokemon Centre?"

I handed the nurse the Bulbasaur, grumbling, "Just heal."

* * *

 **[Plan C: Stealth]**

 _The cardboard box slowly slid across the ground. Inside, I adjusted my grey headband, crawling through the mud._

 _It was going swimmingly. Hopefully…_

 **"** **!"**

I blinked, "Wait, how do you say that? That's a punctuation mark!"

 **"** **THE LEAF HAVE STARTED TO MOVE!"** the old man screamed, **"ZAPDOS, THUNDERBOLT!"**

"Ok, this is just- **GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!** "

The nurse looked up from her cup of coffee, "… I think I had one too many…"

I groaned, nursing my black eye, "Shut up and heal."

* * *

 **[Plan D: Hookshot]**

"Alright, Bulbasaur! Fire a vine at that tree over there, and pull us across!" "Bulba!"

It was perfect. I'd simply located a small tree _behind_ the old dude, and all I needed to do was pull myself over on a vine! Flawless, if I do say so myself.

I smiled, **"Now!"**

The vine struck the tree, and we flew across. The old man looked at us in surprise. We were actually gonna make it! I stuck out my tongue at the annoyance, "Smell ya later, gramps-"

The tree bent over as we whizzed past, before straightening out again quickly, catapulting us back where we started.

The old guy blinked, **"Hey, what the hell just happened? ...Eh, MOLTRESS USE HYDRO PUMP!"**

I spat dirt out of my mouth, "Wait! Moltress is a Fire-Type! It can't use Hydro-"

No sooner than those words left my mouth, the clouds parted, and a massive blast of water rained down from the heavens, launching me back to- You guessed it- the Pokemon Centre.

 **"** **FINE, WORLD! KEEP PROVING ME WRONG! AAAAAAAAAAAA-OOF!"**

The nurse looked back up at me, annoyed, "…"

"…Don't ask."

* * *

 _1 hour later…_

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAAAAA-OOF!"**

I slammed into a wall, the random spade slamming against my head.

The nurse rolled her eyes, refusing to look up from her book ('Harry Pika and the Thunder Stone'), "Eh…"

I got up, "What is this?! I tried everything! Sneaking, talking to him, challenging him, trying to blow him up, digging a tunnel under him, calling the cops, dragging him aside, throwing a pokeball at him, heck, even **duct tape**! And Duct tape solves everything! **HOW IS HE STILL LYING THERE?!** "

The random kid from earlier (I learned his name was apparently 'Joey the Rattata Keeper' when he tried to hit on me earlier) walked up, "Oh, hey Leaf. Still trying to get past that guy?" **"Don't talk to me."** I grumbled, "Seriously, how do I get to Pewter City with that guy in the way?"

Joey shrugged, "Well, it's tough all over." He walked up to the roadblock, opened an invisible gate, walked past the guy, then happily closed the gate behind him, "Good luck, Leaf-"

My mouth fell open, "THE-WHAT THE-FU-FREAKING-HOW-"

Joey turned to face me, confused, "What? I just opened the **Invisible gate.** "

I ran over, shocked, "I'm sorry… **Invisible gate?!** "

"Yup! **Invisible gate!** " he nodded.

"How do I open this **Invisible gate?** "

"With the **Invisible handle** , of course!"

"Where is the **Invisible handle?!** " I gasped, looking around.

"On the **Invisible gate** , of course."

" **WHERE IS THE INVISIBLE GATE?!** "

Joey shook his head, "…In front of the **Invisible fence** , dummy."

He walked off, shaking his head, "Duh."

 **"** **GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

 _Joey shook his head, "Yep, she has problems."_

I kicked the air in front of me angrily. Instantly, the **Invisible gate** opened, allowing me to pass. Bulbasaur and I looked at each other, and at that moment, we swore a solemn oath to never speak of this day again.

The end.

* * *

 **...**

 **...**

 ***Le playing 3DS***

Aww yeah! Take that, Lysandre! EAT FIRE! You gonna bleed! Tell me, do you bleed? **YOU WILL NOW! MUHAHAHA!**

 **Suddenly, Ed kicks down the door of the room!**

Ed: Oi! Author guy!

*Rolls eyes* Not now, conscience. I'm trying to kick some terrorist ass.

Ed: What about Chapter 5?

Geez, Ed! Shut up and let me play Y! It's awesome! And what the hell d'ya mean, I'm not stylish enough?! I've blown up a massive superweapon wearing these clothes! That has to say something! Do I see you storming that Metal Gear Solid Ripoff Base and killing all the terrorists?! **DO I?! DIDN'T THINK SO!**

Ed: ... Look. If you don't keep posting chapters, the readers will eventually stop reading this fanfic. Do it now.

Alright, alright. I get the idea. *Puts down 3DS and walks off*.

Ed: *Smiles, picking up 3DS* Sweet! Now I get to use it! **IN YO FACE, AUTHOR GUY! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, hey, StarFox 64 3D.**

* * *

 **OH MAH GOSH I'M SO COPIOUSLY SORRY GUYS!** I completely forgot about this story for so long! Then again... I guess getting Pokemon Y is a completely justifiable reason to forget to forget, right?

*Raises Flame Shield*

Ok, so it isn't! I get it!

This Chapter had a crossover with **Operation Arcstrike** , another Fanfic written by a friend who may or may not have a genetic relation to me. As well as that, I made several nods to the MegaMan series, one of the best games ever made.

Overwatch, Fire Emblem and Pokemon Sun and Moon made a few appearances as well. If you're wondering (You probably aren't but I'll say it anyway), Lyn is from Fire Emblem- Blazing Sword on the GBA, and I simply put in Tracer because *Voice suddenly becomes darker, more badass and epic* **the powers that be told me to do so. This power is called by the humans... _t_ _he Internet._**

The next chapter may take a little longer to come out, but I promise that it will be on time...

 **Unlike the game it was based on, which was delayed from last year to this year...**

Until then, readers, keep reading, maybe leave a few comments and reviews and until we meet again!

 **Ed OUT!**

* * *

 **Fight, Megaman! For Everlasting Peace!**


	6. Chapter 6: Mega Stone ZX: Advent

Hmm... This chapter was supposed to be only about **Star Fox Zero** , but as it seems, playing a fangame called **Megaman 8 Bit Deathmatch** as well as becoming a partial fan of **MegaMan ZX** got in the way...

Sorry about my tardiness! Roll the tape!

 **Chapter 6: Mega Stone ZX: Advent of a new age.**

* * *

 **Mission No. 5**

 **Luminose City**

 **City of Light**

 **Enter the Heroes!**

* * *

 _ **Good Luck!**_

* * *

 ** _War was never a good thing._**

 ** _It never was, it never will be, and it never is._**

 ** _Your enemies will be like the Wolves, lurking in their own packs to strike when you are the most vulnerable._**

 ** _They won't let you make your move._**

 ** _However, the Wolf is only an exterior to the true foolish Monkeys within._**

 ** _You just need to keep moving on your feet until that time._**

 ** _No rest for the best, as they say._**

 ** _But maybe you're quick, wise, patient and cunning, you'll pull through._**

 ** _Quick like a Falcon, diving in to capture his prey…_**

 ** _Wise like a Hare, hibernating in the cold winter in his burrow until spring…_**

 ** _Patient like the Toad, waiting for the foolish fly to cross his path…_**

 ** _Cunning like the Fox, striking fast and quickly to catch his prey…_**

 ** _Above all, never give up. Trust your instincts._**

 ** _When the time comes, don't think. Just act._**

 ** _Be a Fox._**

 _ **-Xavier 'X' Calem's Diary, Day 21 (since deployment)**_

* * *

The four jets sat silently in the hangar, as X walked in. I followed in behind him, "X, what's going on?" He smiled, "Well, bad news is, the launch had to be pushed forward to today, since we were too tired to fly yesterday. I mean, we did launch a night raid." "Noted. But what did you call me here for?"

He threw a switch, "I spent the whole of yesterday modifying our jets with Y. I've installed laser weaponry on them, as well as giving them a hover feature." "X, I didn't know you knew how to do all that." I replied. "Yeah… I found a few blueprints in some files **Sycamore** sent me a few days before he got kidnapped." X shrugged, rubbing the back of his hair, "But… the old grey colour scheme was too boring for me. So I took some… artistic liberties, if you will."

Several spotlights shone down on the fighters. They were mainly white, with a blue tail wing on each wing. Under the main body was a single iron module, with a long metal tube sticking out. The single rear thruster was decorated with a small red insignia of a red Fennekin running, with a wing sprouting from its back.

I stared at the planes, "Well, points for stylishness."

"Ed, I present to you the **Zero Wing** , a single seater multi-purpose aircraft." X walked up to one of the planes, "The gun on the bottom can aim independently of where the plane is flying, allowing us to shoot enemies flying beside us. I…let's say _borrowed_ that gun design from your own Mega Arm, meaning we can charge up shots and deal more damage than standard rounds. The targeting computer uses a Battle AR on the pilot to lock onto enemies, allowing you to lock on and target enemies. However, the cherry on the muffin for the Zero is its booster system. It's extremely versatile, allowing this whole plane to literally turn on a dime. But… We found a glitch in the Mega Core powering the main booster."

I raised an eyebrow, "What kind of glitch?" X shook his head, "It's silly. Whenever this does an aileron roll in the air, it seems to create… some sort of energy field around it. It's only temporary, but… Well, we have no idea what to do with it."

 **"** **Use it to reflect lasers. Duh."**

We turned around, and spotted Kate standing at the door of the hangar. She walked up to us, "I've been airborne in these things way more times than you guys, and this… Zero Wing thingy, it's way more advanced than anything I've ever seen!"

She climbed into the cockpit, "Woah. Cool. Is that a Super FX module? I thought they only reserved those for special ops!" "Well, Kate, we are the last hope for Luminose City. Spared no expense." X pointed at the plane's booster, "Ion thrusters too. The Mega Stone had more than enough power to spare for it." "Huh. And it still creates a force field when…pardon my untechnical language, 'Doing a Barrel Roll'." Kate laughed, "Amazing. Well, it's about time we showed up to the party! What's the plan?"

* * *

 _X pulled out his Holo Caster, and projected a map of the city._

 _"_ _Alright Team. Every entrance to the city is guarded by enemy mechs, so our only way in is through the air. You, Kate, Y and I, we are_ _ **Team Fox**_ _. Our entry is over the north river leading to the city. After entering the city, we destroy all the mechs in_ _ **Phase 1**_ _. Meanwhile,_ _ **Team Falcon**_ _, which is Tracer, Lyn and the kids, they are to destroy all the enemies in the streets. As they are doing this,_ _ **Team Hare**_ _, or the Kanto Four, are to evacuate the citizens to the Southern Sector of the city. We can't risk harming them."_

 _"_ _Alright, now_ _ **Phase 2**_ _is a tad trickier. After stopping the enemies, we need to fly up the tower, hover next to it, get_ _ **Sycamore**_ _safely onboard, and return him to the lab; after that, back up the main building in time to stop any other attacks… Or at least hold them off until the Kalosian Airforce comes in to aid us."_

 _He closed the plan, "Any questions?"_

 _I nodded, "So, how many mechs are in there?" "Our scanners picked up 100 initially, but this morning, when we launched another scan, it was lowered to 50, and slowly falling." "How?!" Kate choked, "The Kalos defence force can't be that effective, could it?"_

 _X smiled, "Then, the cameras in the city caught these. Look!"_

* * *

[Luminose City, North Precinct]

A mech was slowly marching towards a café, when a fireball stopped it in its tracks. Suddenly, a researcher and several other civilians, wielding various weapons and sending out entire armies of Pokemon, ran into the fray. Any pokemon that could shield was creating a dome-shaped shield over the small army, which successfully managed to destroy the marauding machine.

A few streets away, another machine attempted to blow up a clothing boutique, when suddenly, a dozen Gogoats, the entire fleet of the Luminose Taxi service, knocked it to the ground, stomping on its armour plating. To top it all off, a taxi rammed into the machine, armour plating from another mech crudely welded onto the front.

In a nearby alleyway, a walking tank found itself cornered by a girl in blue. She laughed, tossing a small iron orb at the mech, trapping it in a yellow energy dome, before sending a Lucario into the dome to destroy it.

Near a construction site, a worker promptly slammed his bulldozer into an enemy, letting out a cry of **"WRRRRRRYYYY!"** for all to hear.

Finally, a group of skaters managed to tie up the legs of an attacking droid, before a giant of a man wearing tattered clothes pulled out a sword and stabbed it through the chest.

* * *

 _X smiled a bit at the last one, "Nice to see you again… Old friend."_

 _Kate chuckled, "If the entire city is fighting, then we have every reason to join in. Shall we?"_

 _X turned towards a camera on the wall of the hangar, "You heard the woman! Are we gonna take all this lying down? Let's finish the fight!"_

 _ **Operation Starwing**_ _had begun._

* * *

I put on my armour, this time replacing the blue helmet on my head for a Battle AR. I turned to face X, "Alright, I'm- X, what is that?"

Instead of the red body armour I found the Trainer clad in yesterday, X wore a blue jacket with white stripes running down the sleeves and front. On his head was a dark red cap, with a pair of sunglasses resting on the brim. Finally, across his chest was a black two-tone bag's strap, the bag itself hanging behind Xavier.

He was wearing his classic clothing.

He looked at me, confused, "What, is there something on my shirt?" "No… But..."

"Look, Ed. I think you're wondering why I'm wearing my old clothes."

I nodded. Did I mention I love mind readers?

X smirked, "Well, the sequels are never as good as the originals."

"Uh… What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "Was that some sort of Kalosian saying?"

"Ok, fine. A soldier can't go to war without his uniform, Ed… and…well…" X raised his sleeve, revealing body armour, "I guess if we die, I want to go out in style."

Kate kicked open the hangar door, "GOTCHA! I KNEW YOU WERE A TEAM FLARE GRUNT ALL ALONG!" X rolled his eyes, "No, not like that, Kate."

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

 _Hey, is this thing on?_

*Tap Tap Tap*

 _Oh, look, it is on! Sweetcakes! Alright, viewers, prepare your eyeballs for a whole new angle on this story! A new, totally not gimmicky at all plot device_ _ **in this very story!**_

 _Who am I? No, you should be asking 'What, O almighty, badass and sexy main plot character, are you doing?'_

 _Allow me to explain._

 _As of… Let's see… Chapter 1, you've been seeing things through Ed's eyes. Not that he's a bad guy, though. I like him and all. I mean, seriously. I've spent 10 years of my life with him!_

 _No, the guy telling the story is not Ed. Then…_ _ **Who am I?**_

 _Can't guess?_

 _C'mon, try!_

 _…_

 _Hello?_

 _…_

 _Anybody?_

 _…_

 _Crickets? Seriously, crickets, where did you go?_

 _…_

 **I'm Squirt! Squirt the Squirtle! TOOK YOU DAMN LONG ENOUGH, DARN IT!**

Oh, sorry. I'm just a tad excited right now. So, here's the plan. Every now and again, when the other guys are busy doing something boring like flying fighter jets to blow up evil super fighting robots with a plot stolen from a game about foxes in space fighting evil space chimps (Aw great, anybody who's reading this feels bad now… Now how will I get any views…), or if the Author needs to crank up the Kawaii (Author: Hey!), the camera will switch over to me! Yes, me! You will get to see things through my cute, little red eyes of BADASS!

Can't wait!

…Guys?

…

… Wait! Come back!

…The segment hasn't even started!

…

…Sniff…

…

* * *

 **(POV SWITCH!)**

 **(Squirt POV)**

 **"** **WAAAAAHH!"**

An orange claw slammed over my mouth, as I woke up. A pair of fierce blue eyes glared into mine.

 ** _"_** ** _Act your age, Squirtle! You've fallen asleep into the food, and spent the last 30 seconds muttering to yourself before crying!"_**

I blinked for a few seconds, trying to register what just happened, "…Burritotacohamburgeronionwithnopesaucesays what?" "…Huh?" the female Pokemon asked, folding her arms.

Aww, now the joke's ruined.

I shook myself awake, "S…Sorry." The tired Fire-type sighed, "You better be. The previous two nights have been hell for us 3. We couldn't get any sleep over your blasted snoring. Look."

I turned to look down the table. There was an Ivysaur and a Blastoise slumped in their chairs, sleeping soundly. I raised an eyebrow, "Look, clearly you're bluffing. Char and Saur seem ok, see?" The Charizard turned to look at us, as Saur waved with a vine.

"No duh. They clearly have gotten used to your snoring." the Charmander rolled her eyes, reaching for her mug of coffee, "As we haven't, can you please stop snoring until then?" "How are you supposed to get used to it if I don't snore?"

She paused for a moment, as she leaned into the mug that was a little larger than her, "…I lack energy to argue that now. Need caffeine and alcohol to function."

I did a double take, "You drink?!" "Uh, yeah. Kate does as well." she mumbled, pulling out a small pewter flask of what might've been tequila and taking a swig, "What, you don't drink?" "Um, yeah. I'm a little concerned, Uh…"

Man, and after all this time, I never learned her name.

 **"** **I'm Charmie."**

Oh. That helped. I love mind readers.

"Yeah… Charmie, look. You can't just keep drinking. Isn't it… Y'know… **Flammable?** " I asked, backing away from what could be a walking bomb.

She looked at me quizzically, "Never stopped me before."

She turned around, burped out a blue fireball, before turning back to me, red-faced, "Nope. Never stopped me."

I sighed, "…Sure. If you ever find yourself inflating like one of those weird pictures on Deviantart, I'll be there taking photos." "Don't worry, I'm in no danger of internal spontaneous combustion… maybe lying on the floor feeling absolutely wasted and waking up the next day with Darkrai's own little hangover, sure… but not inflating. Besides, how do those guys clothes stay inflated? Shouldn't they tear off?" She burped out another small flame, "Sorry, this must be the time where my booze brain starts making me ask stupid questions and do stupid things…*Hic*."

I nodded, taking the flask out of her hands and storing it in my shell, "Maybe I should hold onto this for you…" "Good idea…" she muttered, teetering off towards the nearest bathroom, "Let's go with that…"

She bumped into the walls repeatedly on the way out, before I decided to help her stumble towards the toilets.

* * *

 **(Ed's POV)**

I walked into Kate's room, spotting the commando herself sifting through clothes in her backpack. Instead of the damaged clothes she wore this morning, she wore a light-blue top and a pair of dark red cargo pants, as well as a pair of white boots.

She turned to look at me, "So, what's the news from the front?" I hesitated for a few seconds, before asking, "I should be asking you that. I heard that our launch has been delayed by two hours. Why? Why the further delays?"

Silently, the mercenary pulled out a small aluminium flask from her bag, "Dunno. That's why I asked in the first place… Eh, I could use the time before deployment to talk to allies."

* * *

 _"_ _Ed, when is the most important part of a battle?"_

 _"_ _Um… I guess the fight itself."_

 _She chuckled, "I used to think so too. I was a loose cannon. A wildfire. A maverick. Once upon a time. Anyway, turns out that the time before a battle is actually the most important time. Our bonds with allies are one of the most important things in war. Every conversation is a person inviting you to see things in their world. Who knows? That guy might die. But anyway… as I was saying, each player has an important role to play, and sometimes, even a simple conversation can make them change these roles. So, as far as I can see, each action before battle has a mass effect on the upcoming conflict."_

* * *

She shook her head, "Sorry, I'm a little too sentimental, aren't I? Must be the booze." She put the flask back into her bag, "South Orran Tequila. One of the most powerful in the world. My hometown specialized in making a particularly strong concoction. It hits fast and quick, meaning I can drink this, feel drunk for about 5 minutes or so, then go back to being sober enough to drink another shot. Truly a miracle drink."

"…I don't drink." I smiled nervously. Seriously, you would too if you were in the same room.

Kate nodded, "I know. I just drink way too much of this stuff. Guess it runs in my family. My parents did drink before operations, and somehow were always able to keep a level head during said missions. I, on the other hand… Gah, even when I'm not drunk, I keep lashing out at enemies… I disobey orders… That's why I'm looked down upon by my parents. I fly against everything they wanted me to be… They wanted me to be a skilled pilot, yet here I am, running out of money, following a bunch of lost souls in some crazy mission to save the regions. Is this what they wanted me to be?"

"I dunno… Hey, where did you find those clothes?" I asked. She smiled, "Heh. Subtle topic change. I found this plastic bag lying around in this hallway labelled 'If Snivy = Girl', so I picked it up and found these clothes. Just out of curiosity, where did that come from? Oh, wait, you?"

I smiled to myself. In Unova, I bought two sets of clothing to give to Snivy as a gift in case he ever removed his armour. One was set aside n case Snivy turned out to be a male, and the other in case she turned out to be a female. I now have a random set of the exact same clothes sitting around in my bag. Maybe it might come in handy in a later episode, probably involving a fire.

She adjusted the pants, "How did you find the correct size?" I blushed, "Let's say I saw some shit."

…Ask no questions, and I'll tell no lies.

"…Uh, thanks. I guess." She shrugged, "I guess these will do… Until we get to the city. Then, I think I'll go and blow all the cash we'll get for doing all this jacksh*t…. We're not getting paid, are we?"

I shook my head sadly, "Look, I know how much money matters to you now, but-" "Yeah. I know." she sadly replied, slumping on her bed, her brown hair landing on her face. She brushed it off, sighing, "But I need the green stuff. I need it to like, buy things. Important stuff like food, gas, water, electricity, the occasional parking fines… Thank you and Red for letting me stay with you for this whole journey. But where do I go after this is all done?"

 **"…** **Well, I could always modify the guest room at home…"**

She sat up, "Wait, what?"

I nodded, "Pallet Town. It's the most peaceful place in Kanto, as well as my home now. How about when this is all over, you move into my house?" "Really?!" she gasped, sitting up, excited.

 _We were right in front of each other's faces, our eyes locked into each other. For a few seconds, it seemed like we were caught in each other's gaze, and those few seconds seemed to last forever._

Suddenly, Kate blinked, blushing a bit, "Sorry, I mean… Uh…" I nodded too, blushing, "Alright. Don't worry. I guess something will turn up…"

I wasn't ready for something like that yet.

Get a grip of yourself, Ed. You know who you are. You're not particularly good at anything and you're overall pretty average. That's never gonna happen. You can't just do that for somebody you just met! It's just not… not…

 **What is it about this person sitting in front of me that makes me feel awkward?**

* * *

Red walked over to Yellow, "Hey, did you hear the news?" Yellow shook her head, "I know. That new app… Wasn't it called _Pokemon Go_? Yeah…" Red picked up his smartphone, "It's apparently making people less aware of their surrounds. That isn't good." "I know, Red. Car crashes, people using it to lure others into traps, robbery… Maybe a world without Pokemon would've been better." she sighed.

Red smiled, "Yellow… The world was created for us to enjoy. We are humans, not robots. I know that pokemon are normally used to unite us…but every time I think about these things, I remind myself… Well, maybe there is more to life than running around, smartphone in hand."

Blue nodded, "Maybe…"

Suddenly, Green blinked, "Holy SHIT! **I GOTS A BLASTOISE!** "

Red shook his head, smiling, "Then again, there are always idiots who are willing to shut themselves away. Nothing ever changes."

* * *

Y stood atop the base, X next to her, "X, incoming life signature over the hills." "Just one?" "Probably a lost Trainer. She's carrying only one Pokemon, though."

X stared out into the brewing sandstorm, lowering the goggles on his head, "What idiot would venture out in a storm like this?"

* * *

 _The girl looked around, trapped in the blowing sands. Her eyes weakly searched around, before catching sight of the base. Weakly, she adjusted the bow on her back, before turning to her Whismur, locked in its ball._

 _"_ _Geez… What a way for a Dragconoid to die…" she muttered, pulling her brown cloak around her. It kept her shaded from the desert sun, the brooch pining it together shining in the sun._

 _On the iron pin was a symbol._

 ** _Δ…_**

 _ **Delta.**_

* * *

"Looks like some sort of wandering traveller. She's picking up pace rapidly." Y gasped, "She's coming for us…"

X reached for his own sabre, before stopping, "No… I need Red here."

* * *

 _The warrior kept running, her brown cloak blowing in the wind. She found her next home, for now at least. With a cocky smile on her face, she thought quickly._

 _They could catch her if she stayed too long, though, so…_

 _Shaking off the stray thought, she resumed her mad dash to the base._

* * *

Red raised the binoculars to his eyes, "No, I don't remember… Wait… No… **That's not true…** " "R…Red?" Yellow asked, standing next to the first Dexholder, "What's…"

Red's eyes widened, " **She's here!** "

* * *

 _Her strength was leaving her._

 _She kept running, drawing her bow. Time seemed to slow down, as she nocked an arrow, aimed, and fired._

* * *

Red swiftly dodged the arrow, "She's…. No… It can't be…"

 **"** **ZINNIA!"**

* * *

 ** _Now, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time._**

 _The Dragonoid smiled, making a final lunge for the base. However, as she did, she glowed with energy, a powerful aura blasting her into the air._

 _She shut her eyes, bracing for a smooth landing outside the base._

She landed before Red, eyes shut.

* * *

Her red eyes opened, as she laughed in her Hoenn accent, **"So, you were expecting me, weren't cha?"**

Yellow glared at Red, "Red, was there something you aren't telling me?"

"Err… She's not my girlfriend." Red replied, pointing at the traveller.

* * *

I sat next to Sol, who was busying himself with attempting to comb his Litten.

"So… tell me more about him."

Sol nodded, putting the hot comb on the table next to him, "He's the fire starter in my region. His fur can create fire. When he sheds, the fur burns up, meaning no annoying cat hair. Oh, and he's also lactose intolerant." I raised an eyebrow, as the comb burnt through the wooden table, "Why is that important?" "It means he can't drink milk. On the other hand, he can eat magikarp all day, so…" Sol put the Litten next to him, and it started licking its paw.

Sol chuckled, "Although, I'd hate to say it, but out there in Alola… It's actually quite boring." "Excuse me?" I asked, confused, "Alola is a legendary place! We know hardly anything about it!" "No duh. That's my problem. We have no heroes I can remember, no terrorists to kill, it's just waiting for the next crop of eggplant. Imagine this world has a bright centre. I think I found the region that is furthest from it."

He gave another short sigh, "I wish something interesting would happen."

* * *

 _Fascinating._

That was the only thought running through X's mind, as Zinnia walked down the hallway of the base. He was looking at a girl who literally fought dragons for training, blew up missiles, and saved the world in 3 days flat.

Or so he heard.

Red sat her down on a chair, "So, Zin. What brings you here to Kalos?"

The Dragonoid shook her head, "I could tell you the powers that be fated me to travel here on a special mission. But that's a lie. I'm actually on the run." "From who?" "Namely, the cops in Hoenn. Let's say they weren't too happy that I blew up a million dollar missile and embarrassed the Space Agency." She smirked.

Y shook her head, muttering under her breath, "Cocky little freak."

Zinnia shot her a glare, before going on, "I've spent the last few years running, while completing a training course of the Dragonoids. I am no longer the **Lorekeeper**. My official title is now **'Dragon born Zinnia'**. Cool, huh?"

 **"** **Dovahkiin…"** X thought silently to himself, before shaking his head. What the hell did that word have to do with the word 'Dragon Born'? That was random.

"Anyway… I flew here on Rayquasa." Zinnia finished, "…I had one helluva time getting here… Team Flare drones tried to shoot me down, so I did some shit I saw in a movie once." "Um… So… What did you do?"

* * *

 _Earlier…_

 _Zinnia looked behind her, as three fighters attempted to chase her down, "Well, that ain't good." She strapped herself into the leather saddle (What, you seriously thought she would go on an inter-region flight bareback?) and patted Rayquasa's head, "Old friend, I believe it's time to see how well this works…"_

 _She pulled back on her reins (Well, she does need to control this too…) , performing a loop on the Legendary. The drones flashed past, as she flew in behind them. Now she was on their tail. She pulled out her bow, taking aim at one of the planes, and fired an arrow._

 _It flew at the aircraft, embedding itself in the hull. Zinnia stared at it for a few seconds, "Oh, right. Arrows won't do anything against these buggers…_ _ **DO A BARREL ROLL!**_ _"_

 _A volley of shots flew at her, the bullets grazing Rayquasa's body. Zinnia cursed to herself, narrowing her eyes, "Alright, so maybe not… Fine then! Let's see how they like this!"_

 _She performed an immelman turn, flying at full speed towards the enemy planes,_ _ **"HELLO, BOYS! I'M BAAAAAACCCKKK!"**_

 _She tore through a drone, destroying it._

 ** _"_** ** _THAT WAS AWESOME!"_** _she screamed, wiping engine oil off her face, "Alright, I think I know how to take these guys out…"_

 _She dove down to snatch up the destroyed drone's gun, the primitive AI short-circuiting and firing it wildly. Holding it, she flew back up, shell casings flying everywhere._

 _Rayquasa fired a SolarBeam at one, causing it to detonate in mid-air. Zinnia patted it, "Great shot, don't get cocky!" The final drone flew at her, guns blazing._

 _She raised her gun, slamming her fist against it,_ _ **"Can't let you do that, Star Fox!"**_

 _It fired a hail of shots, decimating the pilot AI._

 _The aircraft fell to the ground, as Zinnia admired her new gun…_

 _Before promptly tossing it over her shoulder, where it exploded as well._

 _"_ _So uncivilised." she mused, flying away._

* * *

"I think the film was called _'Star Battle'_ , or something like that…" she muttered, "Aw well. That doesn't matter now, because I'm-a-here, and stuff can happen!" X nodded, "Then let's finish this together. Gen 6 and Gen 7 united as one, against a common enemy..."

Red opened his dex, "One, two three… Wait, you're Gen 6, and Zin's like, Gen 4 or something…" "Sorry, that just came to me." X muttered, scratching his head, "Well, I think that concludes our conversation here. Zinnia, I want you using my Mega Bow to- Where did it go?!"

Just a second ago, the Synergy shooter was resting on X's back on a leather holster. Now it sat, still attached to the holster, in Zinnia's hands. She pulled back the string, firing a volley of arrows around the room. All the trainers only could duck and dodge (Except for X and Y, who calmly raised their energy shields.

Zinnia laughed, "I think I can make some beautiful music with this…"

* * *

 _Remove the lies, and you will find the remainder, no matter how insane, to be the truth._

 _The hot desert sun burned down on the short yellow figure, as he kept walking. Eyes weak, he tugged on his cap, before spotting the base._

 _It was time. It was more than happy to aid these people in their mission._

 _Maybe they could help him on his own, too…_

 _ **The road ahead is full of trials and tribulation.**_

 _ **But there was only one truth.**_

* * *

There was a knock on the door, and I walked up to it, "Who is it?"

The sandstorm blew in my face. I fell back, shielding my eyes from the sand, "Damn…I should really know better… To open a door… in a sandstorm…"

 ** _"_** ** _Excuse me, down here."_**

I looked down, and a small yellow figure walked in. He wore a simple deerstalker cap, a brown and plaid affair. Walking up to me, he looked up, "Is this the Kirito Base?"

I nodded, "Yeah. But… You… **You're a Pikachu!** "

It was true. The stranger was none other than the species of the famous electric mouse itself. Judging by the pointed tail, I could tell this was a male. As far as I was concerned, this was a random Pikachu wearing a detective's hat.

"I see that your visor allows you to understand me. And yes, you should be quite worried about your girlfriend. I can see she hasn't been the best of friends with you recently."

The shit now?

"Uh, Kate's not my girlfriend." I explained, crouching down to his level blushing heavily, "But how could you tell?" "Simple deduction. Your cheek has a red mark upon it, and upon closer inspection, it is in the shape of a female's hand. I have also observed a similar shape of impact on those being- Pardon my language- _'Bitch slapped'_. As for me finding out that you can understand me, as you were able to answer my first query, I happened to observe your visor flash quite visibly once when I spoke. I do not need to be a detective to work that out."

I leaned back. Both were true. Kate later slapped me when I reminded her that she was still forced to sleep in my room, despite… You know, being a female. As for the visor, any fool could see that the Pokelang translator flashes once when activated.

But still…

"I can provide you the information you look for as well; Yes, the citizens of the city are holding off the enemy, a full scale aerial assault would fully incapacitate the enemy, and I have to congratulate you on the modification of your VS Seeker."

 **Wow. How did he know all that?**

"How do I know all these? Well, allow me to explain; you have several lines on your jeans, creases, where a pilot's uniform have been placed on. Quite hastily taken off as well, I might add; you still have a single oxygen pipe trailing from your side…"

I stopped him, "That's enough. So, who are you? And is it just me, or do you remind me of… **Danny Devito?!** " "Who? I'm Johto born and bred, thank you very darn much…" he removed his hat, "My name is **Pika Holmes. But many call me…** "

 ** _"_** ** _Detective Pikachu."_**

He held out a hand. I shook it, "Hey. I'm Ed. Say, do you have a trainer?" "Yes. About that. Where is General X?"

* * *

 _"_ _I can't believe it. I can't freaking believe it…"_

X shook the Pikachu's short hand, "Detective, I always wanted to meet you in person. I never thought you were more than a mere legend… a story in the underworlds of a boy and his Pikachu, busting crime…" Y seemed equally joyous, "Awesome! He can totally help out!" " Listen… I need your help."

The Pikachu sat on a chair, " I couldn't stop them… They took my friend, Tim. I'm…I know a little bit about where he is… He was taken up to the top of Prism Tower, with the other hostages."

"Other hostages?" Kate asked, shocked. "Yes… Professor Sycamore, a girl wearing similar clothes to Y and of course, Tim. I only managed to escape thanks to another brave trainer." "Who-"

Suddenly, Sol ran in, Luna behind him, "SIR! The front door! It's-"

A massive aura sphere blasted them out of the doorway, as a red-clothed figure stormed in, **"HEY! ANNOYING PIKACHU GUY! GET INTO MY BAG! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE BEFORE TERRORISTS-** Wait, is that… **X?!** "

I recognised that voice. Why?

 **Because it was my own.**

With a slight Kalosian accent.

* * *

I gasped, getting a better look at the trainer. He wore a dark red version of X's striped jumper, a red cap with a VS seeker logo on it, as well as a lime- yellow bag. Around his left hand was a Mega Bracelet, and a light-blue VS seeker was clipped on his bag's strap.

He was, for all intents and purposes, a Kalosian version of… Well…

 **Me!**

He seemed equally surprised, as we stared at each other, "Who… The… My god…"

Kate looked between us, "Who are you?"

The stranger stared at us, before giving a nervous laugh, "Sorry. I'm **Ed**."

Oh my gosh, was even my name not sacred?!

" **Eduardo Auditore da Firenze.** But my friends all call me Ed." he explained, "I'm a real Red fan, y'see, so that's what's up with the clothes. What is this? Some sort of anti-terrorist league?" I nodded, walking towards him, "Sort of. I'm Edward Catcher from Kanto. I was a little shocked there…" "Let me guess; the fact I'm incredibly similar to you? I know! Crazy! Then again… guess there's enough people in this world for me to find an alternate version of me." Eduardo chuckled, "Woah. It's like looking into what I could've been." I smirked, "Thanks for the compliment-" **"I can't believe that I'd end up being a washed up mechanic!** Man, I feel a lot better about myself!" the Kalosian leaned on a wall, "All jokes aside, **what the hell is going in this fraggin joint?!** "

Wow, I'd expected a Kalosian version of myself to swear a lot less than me…

"Eduardo… Do you have some other name you would like to be referred to as?" X asked, "It is disadvantageous to call two people by the same name." The other Ed scratched his head, "Wow… I'm actually making a name for myself, just like Ma said that I would… I know! Call me **Red.** " "But I'm Red!" Red called out, miffed. Ed chuckled, "Okay, Blue!" "Oi." Blue grumbled.

 **"** **Z."**

He turned to face me, "Wait, what?" "Your new name here is Z. I think it fits, seeing as X and Y are here." Z rubbed his chin, "Hmm… Z… Alright. It's settled. I'm Z!" Yellow raised an eyebrow, "Hold on a sec, guys. How do we know you aren't a spy?"

"I am." he smiled, hands askance.

 _Kate's eye twitched again._

Immediately, Kate jumped on top of him, knocking him to the ground, pistol barrel to his intimate parts, **"WHO SENT YOU!? TELL ME! TELL ME OR I BLOW OFF YOUR MOTHERFU-"** "Wait! Don't shoot!" Z yelped, "I'm from the **U.R.L.P**! **Professor Willow** asked me to find you, X!" Red froze, "The **URLP**?! The **United Regions League of Professors**?! Snivy! Wait!" Kate sighed, pulling out her assault rifle from her bag, "Fine." She kicked Z in the crotch with her steel-toed boots, before standing up.

"Willow told me… To find Red… heading to X… Needed to give message… Peanut hurting…" Z gasped, a red laser sight locked on his forehead (Thanks to Kate).

"Tell him that I'm fine, Ed." Red told the groaning boy, "Sorry about that. Snivy takes his- I mean, her- job very seriously." "Sans blague..." Z coughed, "…Ow… What is that girl, some sort of commando?" "Yes." Kate snapped back, shooting Z a glare that would make him piss himself.

And he did.

"…Anyway, Z. Get yourself cleaned up quickly and head back here. Everyone else except Ed and Kate, armour up." Red ordered.

 _"_ _You're in for the fight of your lives, chaps."_

* * *

"Alright! It's-a-me!" Z smiled, returning back to the war room. Red nodded, "I'll skip to the point here. If the head of the URLP has a message for us, we need to listen to it. Z, what is that message?"

"Alright. Here." he pulled out a Smartphone, placing it on the table, " **Professor Willow** , the ham is in the sandwich."

The screen flicked on, and an elderly face filled the screen. He had messy white hair, a hiker's backpack strapped on his bag, and a lab coat, "Thank you, Ed. I knew I could rely on a boy like you to deliver this comm-link to Red." Red chuckled, "Chairman. What's going on back there?" "Oh, nothing out of the usual, Red. Anyway, I am calling you to check up on _Operation InterDex_. How is it going?"

Red sat back in the chair, "I have to give it to you, this mission's hard. Why couldn't you've emailed the dex information to each other, or put it in QR codes, or…Or… Something other than me going out and travelling to all these regions, one by one." "Well, if we, as Professors and Trainers alike, dream of a world of unity, where all can travel around, connected, one must first explore. Go. Go to new lands, Red. See new things. But be careful of danger."

He turned to face me, "Oh? And who are you?" I gave a short bow, "Trainer Ed of Kanto. You're the leader of the URLP, right?" "Not really. Any decision that needs to be made about each professor has to go through a democratic voting process. I simply control this voting process." He replied, "Ed… You beat the league in Kanto several years back, if I recall. I also recall you being one of the most maverick, insane and unstoppable trainers at the time."

I smirked, "Hey, wasn't Red?" "What is it with a Trainer Ed in each region who uses the most uncanny strategies and insane attacks? For example, Eduardo there beat this year's Kalos League." Willow pointed at Z, who shrugged. "Beginner's luck. I thought I'd step it up a bit." Z replied, "I climbed Prism Tower with a grappling hook, smashed the top window, and got to fight Clemont without going through all the trouble of that quiz show ripoff. Plus, I also found out the tower's electrified at the antenna to prevent bird pokemon flying into it. No biggie."

I fistbumped him, **"Nice!"**

"And who is your female friend back there?" Willow asked, as Kate stepped forward, pistol in hand.

"I'm Sgt Kate Oren from the Orran military. Nice to meet you, sir." she saluted, "I'm following Red around after quite an odd turn of events." "So, even the military has joined your party?" "Not really, sir. I'm just a mercenary with a dark past. Don't want to talk about it." she muttered.

"Red, what is the status on the dex information? I heard one of our professors has been taken hostage." "True." Red replied, shaking his head, "This is madness, I tell you… Madness…" "Red, don't lose hope. I trust that with team Kanto, not to mention the Orre duo, you can save him. **Fight, Trainers.** ** _For Everlasting Peace._** Willow out."

Red nodded, "Gotcha."

* * *

X strapped on his helmet, turning to me as I hastily ran in wearing my gear, "You're late to the party. Again." "Hey, heroes always, always arrive late, RPG cliché. Come to think of it… Do you think Kate has a thing for me?" "Well, according to TV tropes… Maybe? I've observed that the more the female lead claims she is not in love with the male lead, that means she totally has the hots for you." Sol muttered, adjusting his cap. I rolled my eyes, "Wonderful."

* * *

Luna ran in, wearing her white dress and red rooster hat, "Sorry I'm late! I was having a tough time deciding what to wear!" I raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you have other clothes?"

* * *

 _Earlier…_

Luna picked up a white dress with a small curry stain on the sleeve, "Too dirty…" She picked up another with a burn mark on the back (Sol tried giving Litten a bath. (Wait, it's a fire-type and a cat… That means it doubly hates water, right?)), "Eh… This one is burnt." She was burying her hands in a pile of clothing in her room, trying to find the perfect clothes to wear for the day.

Did I mention they all pretty much looked the exact same?

She dug deeper into the pile, pulling out a dress yellow coloured like a badly drawn Pikachu's body, **"…Mimicyu…"**

 _A ghostly presence filled the room, filling her with sudden dread. She was doomed…_

Shuddering, she tossed it over her shoulder, "No… Not now… Oh, here we go!" She finally pulled out a simple white dress with a faint green floral design around the hem, "Perfect."

* * *

She smiled dumbly, "Chill. I… totally didn't… _jinx this whole mission by pulling off a Mimic_ _yu's costume_ … **Nope! NOTHING AT ALL!** " Sol buried his face in his arms, "We're screwed."

* * *

 _Somewhere else in the base…_

Over his shoulder, Red felt a ghostly white hand…

He turned around, smiling, "Oh, hey Bob. What's it like being a ghostly white hand that floats over other people's shoulders?"

 _All of a sudden, Red had a massive twinge of déjà vu…_

He shrugged it off, "Wanna cuppa coffee or something?"

* * *

X lowered his fighter's canopy, his heart set on the mission ahead, "All units, prepare for active deployment."

 ** _"_** ** _Xerneas has always been kind to us…"_**

 _Sol stroked Litty, as the jeep he, Luna, Lyn and Tracer rode in sped on its way to the battlefield._

 ** _"_** ** _I guess that even a few outcasts like you lot can help…"_**

 _Red jumped onto a similarly coloured dirt bike, Yellow clinging on behind him. Blue sent out his Charizard, and Green created a jetpack using Ditto._

 ** _"_** ** _Hell, we even got a few heroes to help."_**

 _Zinnia whistled for Rayquasa, Pika Wright clinging onto her quiver. The legendary flew up, as Zinnia hopped on, brown hood blowing in the wind._

 ** _"_** ** _We need to hit them where they're weak. And that just happens to be our home city."_**

 _Z jumped onto the wing of X's plane, strapping himself on with a pair of magnetic clamps on his boots._

 ** _"_** ** _The homeland needs us. The world needs us."_**

 _Y jumped into her plane, a shotgun slung over her back._

 ** _"_** ** _We aren't washed up legends anymore."_**

 _Kate adjusted her Battle AR, and gripped the control stick of her craft._

 ** _"_** ** _Today, we are heroes."_**

 _I held a photo of my parents in my hands, before placing it back in my wallet, and placing my wallet back in my pocket._

 ** _"_** ** _The world needs heroes."_**

 _I pushed the throttle of the plane, as the powerful Mega Drives kicked in._

 _X smiled once more, the hangar doors opening slowly, letting the sunlight filter in._

 _ **"**_ _ **Are you with us?"**_

* * *

 _The Luminose Badlands lay silent. Desert grasses blew in the wind, as sand blew across the desert terrain. In the distance, the ruins of the Power Plant crumbled and fell, still smoking from our previous strike._

 _Suddenly, the silence was broken by a powerful roar. The roar of the salvation of the region. The roar of triumph._

 _4 iron eagles tore up the terrain, taking to the sky as dominant powers of the sky. Their gleaming white bodies reflected the sunlight in a blaze of glory. Their blue boosters flared up even more, as they soared above the clouds._

 _Then, at that amazing height, the eagles unfurled their wings._

 _They dove toward the ground, kicking up sand in their wake._

 _As they flew on towards their destiny, engines roaring as they flew on._

 _Over the sound of the engines, nobody heard the screaming coming from Z._

* * *

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAGGGH! SLOW DOWN! I MAY BE WEARING ARMOUR, BUT MY HAIR'S STILL GETTING MESSED UP!"**

Z shook his head slowly, waiting for his vision to return to normal, "Son of a- How far away is the city?!" I turned toward the Kalos trainer, "Say, how are my clamps holding?"

Z smiled, giving me a thumbs up, "I'm Ok! They're holding fine! Hey, I see the city up ahead! **Let's rock and roll!** "

* * *

(Luna POV)

I jumped out of the jeep, stretching, "Alright! I'm out of that tin can! Now for some fun!" I glanced around, before spotting a citizen in need.

She was wearing a blue jacket with short white sleeves, an orange miniskirt, and what looked like a Battle AR. She ran behind a mech, throwing some sort of metal ball on the ground. A yellow dome appeared around the robot, as she sent a Lucario into the dome, **"BURST! BURST ATTACK!"**

I realised there was another machine behind her. I ran over, **"DUCK!"**

I only just managed to push her out of the way of a massive iron fist that slammed into the tarmac, sending black rock flying. "Ow…What the heck did you- Oh." the girl stared at the crater where she was standing. She looked up at me, "Great. I was about to do a Synergy Burst too…"

Wait, **Synergy?**

I turned to her, "I'll finish off the burst charging! Just…Don't laugh at how I do it." "S…Sure! But how do you fill the gauge without a-" she began, before I stood up.

 _"_ _Where I come from… They say if you do this, it fills the pokemon's potential to burst."_

I shut my eyes. In my home, it was only a story, where only a few could pull it off…

But I've done it before. I could only hope it would happen again.

I raised my arms, eyes shut. The world faded around me. I have no idea how this works, but…

It just does.

* * *

 _The wind was blowing slowly, as I felt a warm sensation over me, as if I was covered by an aura of warmth. I moved my hands slowly and gracefully, like the wind in the leaves of trees, or grass in the spring breeze. The sun shone down upon us, as I thought about the Lucario._

 _Through the hard light dome, through the iron hand clamping over her, into her mind…_

 _My awkwardness overcome, I began to dance._

 _My soul became a breeze in the trees, a soft whisper. The dance that was said to bring out hidden Synergy filled me. The clashing steel, the screaming Lucario, the fear of death left me._

 _Now, I was in control._

 _The Lucario opened her red eyes, now with the white fire of the Synergy burst shining from within her, "Let's do this…"_

 _I pounded my fist against the air, and the Lucario repeated that action, smashing the iron Mech's body away. In a slow and graceful sweep of my foot, the legs vanished from under it. I raised my fist into the air, charging up power._

 _I slammed my fist against the ground, striking a dramatic pose._

 _The song of war ended, as did my dance._

* * *

I opened my eyes, the girl watching me amazed. I, too, was shocked, "Holy buckets… What was… Man… It worked…"

The Mech exploded, as the Lucario remained, frozen in my final pose. She finally stood up, blowing smoke off her fist. I scratched my head, "That was the **Burst Dance**. I thought it was all a story…" "Well, what are you going to do?" the girl smiled, "I heard a little about it… Heck, I did an entire course at Uni about Synergy and the AR… But man, did I never expect to see somebody pull off the Burst Attack with… That was AWESOME!"

I blushed a bit, "Well… Just don't try doing it yourself." I tried to imagine the girl (She looked like she was from Ferrum, and her slight accent and pronunciation of certain words back up this statement) doing the dance.

I shuddered. Come to think of it, I wasn't exactly too graceful when I did it…

"My name is **Lan Hijiri** , Pokken Trainer!"

* * *

(Zinnia POV)

The city under fire…

I looked down at the abandoned streets, and my heart suddenly felt a soft twinge of regret. As a Dragon Born, I swore to protect those who couldn't stand for themselves…

 _A small tear came to my eye, watching the citizens fight to defend their homes, their city…_

"… Let's do this."

* * *

I jumped off the dragon, lowering Pika to the ground, "Evacuate the citizens. I got this." "I'm not sure how a bow will harm them…"

I raised the Mega Bow, the weapon bestowed upon me by X, "Like hell it won't!" Jumping into the air, I fired hundreds of glowing arrows into the enemy, before swinging my grappling hook around it. With a tug on the cable, I flew up the side, pulling out my sword. A short glimpse of my training slipped my mind. I slashed the pilot AI, before blasting it with my bow.

With that final motion, I jumped off, as the bot exploded behind me.

I smirked, "Too easy."

* * *

(Ed POV)

"We're entering Luminose City now!" X called.

I looked around the city, watching the various attack robot wreak havoc on the city of light. A twinge of sadness, to see such a beautiful city defiled…perhaps?

Kate voiced my thoughts, "This is horrible…"

"Alright, X, Y, cover the tower!" Z radioed, "Ed, Kate and I will handle the enemies!" X raised an eyebrow, "And who said you were doing the commanding here?" Z motioned to the city, "Do you Kalosians still squabble about politics now? Save that for the court hearing! We're the last hope! Our city needs us!"

X rolled his eyes, pulling away, "Alright, Z."

Z jumped off X's plane, and landed on the wing of mine with a soft thud, "Alright, team! Let's back up the squandron!" He pulled out a machine gun from his backpack, and fired at the incoming mechs. Kate fired her lasers at the ground, her mind being cast back to the days she spent flying for Orre.

And me? Well, I really wanted to fight for Kalos, but I remembered something…

 **"** **I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FLY A JET AIRCRAFT!"**

* * *

Z shrugged, "Chill, Slippy." "SLIPPY?! WHAT DYA MEAN BY THAT?!" I screamed, grabbing the controls. Z rolled his eyes, "You'll work it out!"

Suddenly, Kate gasped, "We've got company!" We looked behind her, as several dozen enemy planes took to the skies. They started attacking us with lasers, as I flew off screaming bloody murder.

Kate sighed, "Well, that isn't good."

 **YA THINK?!**

* * *

X flew around the tower, "Establishing radio contact with hostages now."

A Team Flare Grunt laughed into the comm, "So, you have decided to pay the ransom… Show us the money." X and Y smirked, "Well, we are going to pay the ransom..."

X locked on to the radio signal; the top of the tower. With fire in his eyes, he gunned the engines to full throttle, the blue flames roaring like an unchained beast.

 **"** **But not what you want, but what you deserve."**

* * *

The hull of the aircraft smashed through the glass window, shards flying around the plane. The Team Flare Guards were too disoriented by the sudden impact to notice the second aircraft slamming in through the other side, a red blur dashing around the room and knocking them unconscious with stun lasers.

Y saluted to X, "Alright! Let's go find those hostages!" X nodded, jumping out of his ship.

* * *

I spun wildly in the air, reflecting lasers away as I flew, **"AHHH! HELP MEEE!"**

Z rolled his eyes, having jumped onto Kate's plane to avoid nausea, "…Should we help him?" Kate flew after the long horde of fighters behind me, lasers blazing, **"ALRIGHT YOU SCUMBAGS! EAT HOT LASERY PLASMA LEAD!"**

I rolled away from the now-decimated cloud of enemies, catching my breath as my heartbeats fell back to their regular rate, "…Kate… I..I don't wanna die here… so, tell me this straight… will I die out here?"

Kate looked up thoughtfully, "Hmm, you are awfully inexperienced… and you don't know how to fly your plan-" She looked at my incredibly pale face, sweat streaming down it, "Ontheotherhandno!"

* * *

X's Chesnaught slid down the side of the building, large fists slammed into the side of the building. **Marisso** slammed onto the city streets, fists raised.

 ** _"_** ** _See? That's why we can't have nice things."_**

Marisso rolled his eyes, as a Greninja landed next to him, " **Croaky** , you always find a way to ruin the moment." Y's Pokemon smirked, "Long time no see. I was feeling kinda cramped." "…How can you get cramped in a pocket dimension-" **"DUCK!"**

A missile flew over their heads, as a mech stomped out from a building. Marisso lifted his fist, "VINE WHIP!"

The vines burnt in a fire from the Mech's arm. Croaky rolled her eyes, "Great. That worked. HYDRO PUMP!"

Having enough of their nonsense, the enemy barrelled straight towards them, guns blazing. Croaky jumped back , "SHIIII-"

 **"** **Um…RIP ARMS OFF!"**

An orange blur did just that, metal parts, oil and flames flying.

The blur dashed around to the front, smashing the front of the mech in, "Save the turn based RPG action for later!" He pulled out a long branch, somehow creating a rope of flame on the end. He flicked the firey whip, "And I've got a score to settle!"

He wrapped it around a lamp post, and swung up it, before jumping on top of the cabin, fist smashing the metal. Pulling it away, he drew the branch once again, this time creating a sword out of the flames, and finally stabbing it into the top.

The mech fell to its knees, before slumping on the ground, destroyed.

The stranger climbed down, stretching, "One down." "…"

He rolled his eyes at the two, staring at him in amazement, "…Wait, you're both some of those 'Silent Protagonist' dudes, right?" Croaky gasped, " Sorry. What just happened?! You just came out of…Nowhere!"

The figure chuckled, "What, _you expecting a Delphox?_ "

* * *

It was a Braixen, a cocky smile on his face as he replaced the branch on his back, "I'm **Ryu**. Z sent me out to help you two." Marisso shook his head, "We don't need help. We have this covered."

Ryu tilted his head, "Sure 'bout that?" "Ryu, we are skilled-" "AHHHHH!"

Croaky was grabbed by a giant fist, and was being swung from her scarf/tongue thingy into various concrete walls repeatedly. Ryu pointed at her, turning to face Marisso, "You don't say."

 **"** **…Fine."**

* * *

(Red POV)

I skidded into the city on my dirt bike, hopping off, **"EVERYONE! EVAC TO THE SOUTH CITY!"** The citizens were only happy to oblige, mowing down anything in their way as they ran.

I raised my comm, "Green, Blue, how are things on your end?" "Everything A-Okay. Shall we report back to X-"

 **"** **Mom?! Where are you?!"**

Yellow scanned the area with her power, "Three civilians. What are they still doing here?" I glanced over my shoulder, and spotted him; a boy wearing a blue vest, black shirt and blue boots. His messy brown hair blew wildly as he ran.

I ran next to him, "What's goin-" **"GET AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"** he wailed, running away. I turned to Yellow, "What the heck was that all about?" "Well, you are wearing a red shirt, and so does Team Flare…"she muttered, "Red, he's looking for his mother. I'm guessing she must be one of those life signs- OH NO!"

I gasped. Mind reader I wasn't, but I was pretty damn good at checking the signs.

 _That boy's mother was in danger._

I jumped onto my bike, "Yellow, where is the mother?" "Building to the left of-"

I nodded quickly, "GOT IT!"

The boy ran into the building, spotting a single droid levelling its gun at his mother's face. He was too late. Too slow. He screamed, running at the droid, as it loaded its gun, "NO!"

 **"** **PiKa THUNDER!"**

An electric bolt struck the attacker, and the child fell to the ground. He weakly looked up, and saw his mother, alive and well, slowly getting up.

"Oh, you're...!" she gasped.

I beamed, as Pika jumped on my arm, "Trainer Fire Red, Ma'am. Get to the south side of the city with your child!" She smiled, tears streaming from her eyes as she held her child, "T…Thank you, Red!" I saluted, "Seeing you and your child okay is all the thanks I need. Now, hurry! Yellow will cover you as you run!" "Okay… **Vent** , remember to thank the nice man who saved us."

He suddenly looked up, serious, **"Actually, I want to go with him."**

* * *

"W…What?!" both his mother and I exclaimed.

"I…I can't leave **Aile** hanging! She's still holed up somewhere, I just know it! I need to find her too!" the child grabbed my hand, "You'll help me fight all the bad guys on the way, right?"

I turned to his mother, who shook her head, "That Vent… Always getting into trouble, just like Thomas back home… I suppose it would be a little dangerous, but you can help him, right?"

I looked down at the child. He stared back up at me, his brown hair looking like it was black in the dark room. The fringe on the front of his hair reminded me of…

 **Me.**

I removed my hat, the black fringe flopping down over my eye, "Then you've got yourself a new friend, Vent." "O…Ok, Red-Senpai!" he smiled, running up next to me.

His mother smiled, "Gosh, you look so alike… Vent, be very careful!" He nodded, "I will! See you later!"

I smiled, as she ran outside, "Alright, Vent. Now, let's do this shit."

"So… I should make sure to stay with you, and don't try any heroics unless you tell me to, or if it's too dangerous. Got it."

I shook my head. He learned fast.

"Alright. Finally… Here."

I reached into my bag, and pulled out a spare Mega Arm, the blue steel shining in the sunlight, "This is a gun. Now, I'll explain how it wor-" He snatched it from my arms, strapping it onto himself. With no fear at all, he aimed it at several hidden drones around us, blasting them like a natural. Immediately after, he charged up a more destructive Synergy shot, blasting it out at a mech, destroying it in one hit.

Then he turned to face me, "Is…Is something wrong?" My jaw dropped. One second he was just an ordinary kid, the next blasting enemies like a trained soldier.

"How…Kid, you're…" I began, before he shrugged.

"Guess I'm just really skilled with this. It reminds me of an old Capcom game I played on my SNES, actually… I think it was called…Mega…Something…X." he raised his Mega Arm again, "Mom always told me that video games were never going to help me…"

* * *

(Ed POV)

I swooped around for another pass, "Alright, I think I got the controls down pat… Left on the C stick for boost, down on the C stick for brake, A for lasers and B for missiles. Z or R twice to do a- WOAH!"

An enemy started tailing me. I pulled up, braking as I did so. The aircraft flew underneath me, as I looped back around, lasers blazing. It exploded in mid-air.

Kate smiled, "Alright! My turn!"

She locked on to an enemy, missiles armed. Z reached into his bag somehow, and pulled out what looked like… A whip of some sort.

The following events were swift and decisive.

Kate fired the missile, as Z jumped off the aircraft. He planted both feet on the bomb in mid-air, jumping off it, onto another drone. It didn't have any time to process, let alone react, to Z. He wrapped the whip around a wing, sitting astride the drone's body, "Alright! I'm actually doing it! FASTER, YA LITTLE PIECE OF SCRAP!"

He tugged on the whip, as the drone wildly fired around, destroying more of its kin. Z removed his hat, waving it in the air as he flew past, "These Gogoats aren't going to herd themselves! **YEEEAAHHH!** "

I smiled, "Are you, by any chance… A Gogoat herder?"

"I am! Best in Kalos!" he replied, "True! I'll show you 'round the ranch later, if you need proof. But for now…" He slammed front of the drone, "NO FEAR!"

* * *

(Luna POV)

Lan rolled behind a mech, sending out Braix, "Fire Punch!"

I ran along with Sol, who gripped his pickaxe in one hand, "Luna! Use Rowly to draw their fire! I've got a plan!"

Well, I'm not one to freeze up, so I did so, "Bullet Seed!"

Suddenly, it slowly turned, a metal fist knocking Lan out, "AGH!"

I gasped, "LAN!"

It marched towards us, remorselessly, guns trained on us. Sol ducked, narrowly dodging a fist, "Luna! RUN!"

I turned back towards the droid, aiming a rocket pod at Lan's limp body. I gasped, "No…!"

* * *

(Zinnia POV)

I raised the Mega bow, firing an arrow at the advancing forces, "They're everywhere!"

It was true. Around me, mech on mech slowly marched towards me. They locked on me, no matter how much I dodged. They were going to try to overwhelm me. I looked up, toward the sky, "Rayquasa…"

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through my body. I looked down at my leg, to a most unwelcome sight.

 **Blood…**

All over my sandal was my blood, spilling from a wound on my knee. I gasped, dodging more lasers. If the blood loss reached a critical level…

 _No. I must not think that._

I gritted my teeth, climbing a mech and firing hundreds of arrows off from it.

Around me, more and more hostile steel mammoths gathered.

* * *

(X POV)

I kicked down the door to the room, revealing the 3 hostages, tied to chairs, each guarded by a guard holding a pistol to their heads. While they were still stunned by our sudden entry, Y wasted no time in knocking the 3 out with electric shots.

 **Sycamore** looked around, "Well, it appears it is time to go."

Y cut him out of the ropes, "Not hurt, I hope?"

The professor was wearing his usual white lab coat, his hair appearing to be slightly less unkempt and his clothes wrinkled. He promptly brushed his hair back before turning to speak to us.

"No. I am unharmed. I shall wait for you on the top. Escort the other two out onto the roof." he commanded, "Perhaps it is not too late to save the city… Or my dignity."

That's Sycamore for you; a narcissist to the end.

Suddenly, a massive wall of flesh blocked our way; a massive, crowbar wielding brute. He slowly approached me.

I reached for my sword. It was time to fight.

 _"_ _They're not going to make this easier, are they?"_

 _I could only pray the soldiers below were braving it out…_

* * *

(Ryu POV)

Alright, so here's the situation.

Six massive heaps of iron, guns and piston, marching your way. You have a branch, the power to manipulate flames to create fiery constructs on said branch, and only enough time for one construct.

What would you make?

…

Something among the lines of a high-powered weapon, or a shield, right?

I raised the stick, and using all the fire I could manage, I created…

A shovel.

I stared at the flaming construct for a second, shrugged, and struck the earth. The flaming tool smashed through the advancing machinery effortlessly.

"Sweet! This spade kicks ass! Maybe I can ditch using a sword and just use this to dig through!"

* * *

(Z POV)

 ** _Falling._**

 _The laws of physics state that what goes up will come down._

 ** _Hitting the ground._**

 _For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction._

 ** _Dying._**

 _A force like that could break all my bones, and splatter my body all over the ground._

I screamed, as the drone I was riding on self-destructed, "MOTHERFRACKINGSONOFA-" Now I was plummeting towards the ground, and the other two were occupied with blasting holes in the other enemies. My time had come. I prepared myself for the great beyond.

In an instant, millions of memories flashed before my eyes. Meeting Ryu… Beating the League… Eating copious amounts of nachos on the couch while playing old Capcom games on my SNES…

"Shit." I moaned, as the ground rushed up to meet me, "I was awesome."

Suddenly, a ball on my belt vibrated. I picked it up, and flung it to the ground.

Instantly, a blue blur blasted up at me, snatching me away from my impending doom and blasting me back into the skies.

I smiled, " **Lucas!** "

* * *

(X POV)

I raised my sword, slashing at the grunt's arm, "Dammit! Get the hell outta my way!"

It did not do so, as expected, and struck me between my legs with his boot. I reeled back, sword still raised, "...des balles…"

The grunt advanced on us menacingly, swinging his crowbar around. I was about to raise my sword again for what would be a decisive and fast sword fight.

 ** _"_** ** _Evite ceci."_**

Suddenly, a single laser hit the grunt's chest, blasting him back. I turned around, "Great shot, Y."

 _"_ _Truly, I thank your compliment. But I shot it."_ Professor Sycamore smiled, a pistol in his hand, "I think I saw it in a film once… _Les aventuriers de l'arche perdue_ , if I recall."

I shrugged. Hey, it was anticlimactic, but you can't argue with the results.

* * *

(Red POV)

"Vent, behind you!"

He calmly spun, dispatching the robot with incredible ease, "Well, this is quite an effective weapon. I wonder why it's so… Natural for me…"

I shrugged, "Maybe in another life, another time, another dimension. Maybe your mother did die in another life. Maybe the arm cannon is your vengeance taken out upon those who killed her…With each enemy you defeat, you become stronger."

Vent rolled his eyes chuckling, "Please. That's silly. When that happens, I'll stop cutting my hair!" I smiled as well, "Yeah. That's stupid. So… What is it with you and Aile?"

He peered around a corner, blasting any robot with synergy blasts, "…To tell the truth, I haven't actually met her." "Well, how do you-"

The child looked back up at me, "This might be crazy for you, but I know this happened; _We met in a dream._ "

* * *

I blinked, "A… _Dream?_ "

Vent nodded, "In it, I lost all my memories…and…I was reborn into a Squirtle. Aile was as well, except she was reborn into a Charmander. In that dream, the only things living on the island were pokemon; No humans! It was crazy. Then, on this weird island, somebody told us there were natural disasters wreaking havoc on the land, so… we made a rescue team, and… It was crazy."

My jaw dropped, "Kid… how did you know it was Aile?"

"…Let me explain. The next morning, when I woke up, even though I had spent days in the dream world, it was only one night in our world. When I woke, anyway… I found this badge attached to my shirt… And I could…sense Aile." Vent finished, fishing a badge out of his bag. It was white, shaped like a pokeball with a pink centre, with two gold wings. It was the exact same badge…

* * *

 _When I woke up from my months-long sleep (Thanks to Emerald), I noticed this badge pinned on the lapel of my shirt. Yellow's cloak also had one pinned on…_

 _Then, months after that, memories kept flooding back. Memories of a Pikachu talking to me. Memories of me using Vine Whip to save trapped Pokemon. Memories of being a Bulbasaur, fighting toe-to-toe against an Alakazam._

 _Memories of a Groudon, rising out of lava._

 _So…_

 _It was one long dream… After all…_

 _How…Mysterious…_

* * *

I pulled out my own Rescue Team badge, "Gold Rank Team. You?"

"Gold as well. Looks like it happened to you too! Crazy! I thought I was the only one…" Vent stuttered, "Wow… It's almost as if… Fate brought us here…"

I fistbumped him, "Then we'll try our hardest today, Vent! Let's do our best!"

Both of us raised out fists skyward, "YEAH!"

* * *

(X POV)

 _"_ _Thank god. I was nearly a Jill sandwich!"_

I smiled, "Kid, Pika Holmes told us everything. You're **Tim Goodman** , I presume."

He smiled, adjusting his cap, "Wow… I didn't think you could actually understand him…"

I shook his hand, "No probs, kid. I used a translator."

He dusted his orange hoodie off, "Well, now that that's cleared up… Where is my car?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Your…car?"

"199X Model. Red Holden. That one? I parked it at the bottom of the tower. Cost me a lot!"

I facepalmed, "Don't worry. I'm sure it's fine."

* * *

Marisso grabbed the closest weapon to him; a red Holden, and smashed it over the head of the advancing enemy mechs. Ryu snatched off a car door, using it as a shield against gunfire.

"Man, whoever owned this car's gonna be pissed."

* * *

Tim's eye twitched slightly, "…It's gotten blown up, hasn't it?"

"…Yeah."

"…I'm pissed."

* * *

(Z POV)

I jumped from Lucas to the roof of the building, "Great work. We now need to cover the ground."

The Lucario nodded, creating a sword, "Alright, then… Where is Ryu?"

"I think he's helping X and Y's pokemon to defend the tower. I should hope so, anyway…"

"Well, we can't sit around while there are civilians in danger. The evacuation should've taken place, right?" Lucas asked, worried as always about the others, running around like headless chickens screaming.

I nodded, "However, I think we still need to help them out. Lucas, lock onto any life signs, and carry them to the south."

"Why me?"

"Because you can teleport."

"Fair point."

With that, he vanished in a flash of blue energy.

* * *

I unclipped the flight armour I was wearing to handle the rough forces exerted to me during my flight earlier. Off came the black helmet, as brown hair once again flopped over my face. The grey jumpsuit fell off after a few tries of me trying to reach the zips and Velcro, but when it did, it revealed my red jumper, a triumphant white stripe running down the front. I replaced my bag on myself, testing the VS Seeker (Poogle 2.2) a few times, before letting it rest on my chest once more.

Finally, I reached into my bag, drawing a red logo cap. I donned it, and looked up.

"Ready! **Let's-a-go!** "

* * *

I jumped off the roof, and immediately regretted that action. Why? Let me reiterate.

 **I jumped off a roof!**

You can see the problem here, can't you?

Instantly, I started falling metres towards the ground. I cursed to myself. How come all the cool trainers got to jump off roofs like badasses, while I just looked stupid?!

Oh, and dying too. That could hurt as well. Sagely advice from a smart guy; If you're dead, then you've lost a rather crucial part of your life.

Namely, the whole _'living'_ shtick.

I started screaming, expecting to slam onto the hard concrete footpath, or if I was lucky, some deux ex machima.

* * *

"Wow, I didn't realize that falling took this long!"

Suddenly, I made impact on a soft surface, dried grass meeting my face. I stood up slowly, spitting out grass from my mouth, when I realized I had fallen in a case of the latter.

 **A haystack!**

I chuckled to myself, "How convenient. Hey, I hope whoever needed this haystack wouldn't mind me-"

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**

A droid wearing a white hood with a knife in one hand fell off a nearby building, and blew up upon striking the ground.

I stared at him for a few seconds, before running away from the scene of the crime.

Assassins…

They never learn, do they?

* * *

(Luna POV)

Suddenly, a pickaxe was thrown at the fist, a long rope tied to the end, and the fist was held back.

Sol was on the other end with a Gogoat, pulling the rope.

 **"** **LUNA! HURRY UP AND SAVE HER! WE DON'T HAVE ALL BLOODY DAY, Y'KNOW!"**

I froze on the spot, "Uh…Wha…Um…!"

Was I up to it? I glanced at Lan, then the shaking iron fist. Was I fast enough? If I failed, her blood would be on my hands…I broke out into a cold sweat-

 **"** **QUITCHERBITCHINANDGITONWITHITDANGIT!"** Sol bellowed at me.

I rolled my eyes, dashing in as quickly as my legs would allow, grabbing Lan from certain metal death, and ran back to Sol.

He jerked on the rope, and the pick jerked up with it, smashing the robot in the face and destroying it. I turned to him, "Come to think of it, why didn't you do that from the very start?"

Sol blinked, "Oh… Well, I like dramatic rescues! **SUE ME! WHAHAHAHAHAHA!** "

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, brother…"

* * *

(Ed POV)

"Too easy." I smiled, blasting the final aircraft from the air. Kate rolled up next to me, as we buzzed the tower.

"Ed… Keep your guard up." Kate muttered, looking around, "I'm certain…"

"Please! We blew up 60 aircraft or so! Everything should be quiet now!"

Her eyes narrowed, "It's quiet. **Too quiet…** "

Suddenly, the two blue irises shrunk, "It's a trap!"

All of a sudden, a gigantic red saucer faded in from its cloaking device. We gaped at the massive aircraft, hovering thanks to a massive Mega Core. It sprouted 15 or so massive laser cannons, and started blasting both of us with plasma.

Kate's eyes almost popped out of her head, as she gibbered incoherent profanities at the monstrosity hanging in the skies above.

"…Enemy shields analysed?" I quipped meekly, coming out of my miniature heart attack.

"…Shut your trap, Slippy."

* * *

(X POV)

 _"_ _Guess I should be thankful."_

I sarcastically muttered this phrase to myself as the massive attack craft hovered over the tower. Y shook her head, "Well, then that means we gotta save this last one fast!"

She undid the ropes on the chair hastily, and removed the bag hiding the victim's face to reveal…

 **Her own face staring back, bewildered.**

Y's mind imploded several times, "WHA?!"

The girl had the exact same blue eyes, blond hair and red dress as Y, except she was wearing a different cap. I tilted my head a bit, "Hey… That hat looks like a cross between mine and Red's… who the heck are you?"

"I'm **Serena!** " she quickly stuttered, "W…who are you?!"

Y held out her hand, "Y. Maybe you've heard of X and I."

She got up slowly, her eyes suddenly growing wider, "X….X?! **Y…you?!** "

I sighed. My camera shyness suddenly all came back in that second.

 **"** **ERMAGERD! YOU'RE SO DAMN FAMOUS!"** she screamed in a high pitched voice, tackling me to the ground, "I can't believe I'm getting saved by you! **THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!** "

Y silently turned to me and mouthed, "Shallow."

I pushed Serena off me, "Whatever. Follow me if you wanna live to tell this epic story… Not that I want you to."

 **"** **O…Okay, Sempai!"**

I snapped at her, **"AND DON'T CALL ME SEMPAI!"**

 **"** **S…Sorry, Sempai- I mean, X-kun!"**

Gah…

* * *

(Z POV)

I ran across the abandoned streets, picking up a crowbar from the ruins of the building. Normally at the farm, I would use this for opening shipping crates.

But every now and again, I would swing it around, imagining what it would be like to use it in combat…

I ran up to an enemy squad, smashing in their heads with the metal tool, "BOOYAH!" It smashed through the iron easily, red fluid over my arm. I laughed, "Please! I can take you out faster than the Splatoon Single Player Campaign!"

A tear came to my eye. I loved those damn Splatfests…

Suddenly, a girl wearing a red shirt and skirt ran around the corner screaming. I ran past her, "Hold up! It's dangerous to go alon-" She pointed behind her, "INCOMING! FIND SHELTER!"

A mech stormed around the corner. I narrowed my eyes, "Really, woman?"

I jumped up a building (Damn, son. Where'd I find that?), scaling it in seconds, before jumping on the head. I drove my crowbar in, with a victorious battle cry, **"YAH HAA!"**

I landed on the ground, as the mech blew up behind me.

Shame. I thought it would've fallen into the lava.

The girl shyly poked her head out from a destroyed building. I could now see her brown hair, as well as a red cap with the pokeball logo on the front, "A…A…Are they…gone?"

I wiped my hands on my jeans, cleaning the oil off my face, "Yes. Hey, why'd you run?"

She glared at me, walking up, "Well, excuse me, princess! I can't fight a giant metal…thingy!"

"Use your Pokemon."

 **"** **I DON'T HAVE ACTUAL POKEMON!"**

She shook her head, "Who are you?"

"Ed. Y'know, that-"

"Oh, you. I don't watch sports. I'm **Ashley.** But most of my friends nickname me **'Go'**."

* * *

We wandered the streets, looking up at the attack ship hovering over the centre of the city. Go continued, "I'm a Beta Tester for Pokemon Go, thus my nickname."

"I…I see…"

"These terrorists are a pain in the ass! My god, no profanity that currently exists can describe them! Here I am, maintaining the servers for one second, **ONE SECOND** , and then they **BARGE INTO MA OFFICE WITH A DIRTY GREAT ROBOT AND TRY TA KILL ME!** Do you have any idea how hard it is to maintain those servers?!"

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, "Well, I am fighting them now. Wanna join in?"

She stopped, "Listen, champion dude. I don't have time for this. My office work comes first. I need to head back to the server farm, get those servers back up, and then-"

Suddenly, a massive explosion occurs. An orange fireball blasted into the sky, followed by a rain of server parts. I shielded us, as iron, cable and circuit boards rained down on us.

Go's lip quivered. I nervously edged back, "…Go?"

 **"** **YOU BASTARDS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU! GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"** she bellowed, falling to her knees and shaking her fist at the sky. A few seconds passed, as she continued screaming profanity at the attack cruiser.

I silently watched the screaming girl for a few seconds, before she turned her attention back to me, "Alright. I know how we can exact a slow and painful punishment on these assholes now."

My mouth fell open, "..Uh…"

Go rolled her eyes, "Yeah. I'll help. And I have a plan…"

I smiled, shaking her hand, "I'm all ears."

She grinned, "Alright, just saying…"

* * *

(Red POV)

Vent dodged several lasers, before returning fire with his arm cannon, "Outta my way!"

I rolled behind a car, sending out Pika, **"THUNDER!"**

We wreaked havoc on the machines, as we cleared a path down the roads. Vent's skill with the Mega Arm was exceptional, as he led a blazing path down the road with cannon bursts and charged shots.

So… Maybe he was exceptionally powerful in another life? Heh. As if.

"Y'know, I kinda feel a little bit of déjà vu here…" the child muttered, "Except I was wearing a blue helmet at the time… And maybe… Perhaps a grey pistol and red armour…" He grabbed a laser sword off my belt, "Hey, what's this?" I quickly grabbed it back, "Don't touch that! That's a beam sabre! It's like a sword, but-"

He grabbed it again, flicking it on and running back into battle, "EAT LEMONS! AND SWORD SLASHES TOO!"

Like the arm cannon, he was skilled with the laser sword. However, unlike the blaster, he seemed to be able to predict where to slash as second nature, as if…

 **As if he had already used it before…**

Vent jumped at a droid, "Woah. I didn't know I was this good at…Doing whatever I'm doing!"

I nodded too, shaking my head, "Way too good… Kid, don't go picking up any weapons any time soon!"

* * *

We stopped in an alleyway to catch our breath. Vent handed the sword back to me, "It's a little tiring, though… I bet if I did do this in another life, I didn't get this tired."

I nodded, "Alright. Enough about guns and swords and metals and mavericks."

"…What? I didn't bring up the topic of metals, and what do you mean by maverick?"

"Sorry, my mind wandered. Pff, metals. Why did I think that?"

Vent adjusted his jacket, "So… Let's talk _Mystery Dungeons_."

"Mysterious places that change each time you go into them. Kinda like getting high."

"…High?"

"Sorry, Vent. You're a little young."

"Aww…Nobody tells me anything…"

 _"_ _Alright. Why do they change? What forces make them change?"_

 _"_ _Well, if it was really all a dream, they change with our imagination."_

"That's…rather broad, don't 'cha think?"

"Alright…I guess _the powers that be_ change the dungeons. _But who, or what are these powers?_ "

"More importantly, what the heck is up with those _'Wonder Panel'_ thingies? _Why do they heal status effects, but not health?_ What _is up with Moltress?_ I don't remember him being so cocky…"

We both breathed a collective sigh.

"Guess it was all a dream, then." I sighed, "Well, we better keep moving."

 _Stranger and stranger…_

* * *

(Z POV)

 _"_ _Hey…"_

I gasped, "Oh my gosh, Go! I just want to hug you right now!"

She kicked the ground shyly, "Do it later, ok? Right now, we need to tell the others. I'll head to the tower and evacuate X any Y. You find the others."

I rolled my eyes, pulling out my Holocodec, "Or we can always do this:"

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _All K1S3K1 Units, come in! This is Z here! We might've figured out a way to pwn these scrubs into tomorrow!"_**

 _X shrugged, "Ok, shoot."_

 ** _"_** ** _The tower is essentially a giant metal aerial sticking out of the ground. If we charge it with copious amounts of electricity, we can boost the electrified antenna on top, creating…"_**

 _Ed chuckled, "One hell of laser beam."_

 _Kate still looked confused, "But where can we find so much electricity?"_

 ** _"_** ** _It's obvious, isn't it? The massive crowd of evacuees may have one… or twenty or so electric types!"_**

 _Red raised an eyebrow, "But how soon can we get this giant laser firing stuff?"_

 ** _"_** ** _That's the thing. Red, there is a Pikachu orphanage a few streets ahead. You won't believe how many Pikachu are there. Besides, their main attack is a massive thunderbolt!"_**

 _Yellow nodded, turning around on Dody toward the building, "I think I could coordinate them! Wonderful work, Z!"_

 _ **"**_ _ **Hey, it wasn't my idea. It was Go here."**_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Go here? Wait, is there something over there that we need to nuke?"_**

"What?" Go responded, "No, it's kinda…My nickname."

 _"_ _ **Go?**_ _That's a weird name."_

I rolled my eyes, "X, as if yours isn't any weirder."

 _"_ _Please! X is a variable, with infinite possibilities! Go is just-"_

I switched off the codec, turning to my new-found ally, "Mission complete." She shrugged, nodding.

* * *

(Ed POV)

Kate looked over her shoulder, noticing a bogey on her tail. She attempted to roll out of the way, but the drone kept firing at her. Exhausted, she opened the cockpit, pulling out her pistol and blasting it into oblivion.

Rolling her eyes, she lowered the hatch, sliding back into her seat, "Jerks."

 **"** **DO A BARREL ROLL!"**

I reflected several lasers away, watching the drones pour out at us, "There's no end to these guys!"

"Stay focused. The Prism Beam should go up in the next hour or so, I hope!" Kate fired off a salvo of energy, rolling around again to attack, "Hey, how about we have a little contest? First to 64 wins!"

I smiled, "You're on!"

* * *

(Red POV)

Vent dashed around a corner, plasma flying, **"Aile!"** I looked around the corner, and saw the girl.

She was wearing almost the same clothes to Vent, and had similarly coloured eyes and hair. The main difference was her hair was tied in a ponytail, and her clothes more damaged and torn. Her face looked similarly wounded and scratched as well. She looked up at us, "Who are you? Are you here to hurt the Pikachu as well?! I won't let you do that!" Vent held out his badge, and it shone in the light.

Aile's eyes widened, "Wait a sec… You're… **VENT?!** "

"I'm as shocked as you are…" Vent muttered, scratching his head, "We met in a dream… But… I don't remember seeing you in real life… Who are you, and why do you look like me?"

"…I don't know… I just woke up one day... I don't know who I was, what I am actually… But I did know that my name was **Aile**. That was all…"

I crouched in front of her, "Aile… Isn't it ironic? Both of your names mean 'Wing' in Kalosian. So, for now, Vent is your brother."

She looked at Vent, who nervously blushed, "Uh… Okay. But I can't leave the Pikachu here!"

"Wait, what?"

Suddenly, a horde of the electric mouse shyly peeked out from behind the girl. I gasped, "What in tarnation…?"

"I was taken in by the Pikachu Orphanage up the road. The owner told me to help the Pikachu escape when the robots attacked." she picked one up, scratching it under the ear, "I was leading them to safety, when you appeared."

Vent chuckled, "Aile, we're going to need them for something…"

 **"** **I'm in!"**

* * *

(Zinnia POV)

I ducked under a hail of bullets, raising my iron shield. I wasn't about to pull out my secret weapon yet, but now seemed like a good time to do it-

 **"** **Let me handle this!"**

* * *

Suddenly, a blue blur ran onto the field, drawing a sword. She slashed at the oncoming enemies, before landing next to me.

Well, that was easy.

"Lyndis Surge. You must be Zinnia Lowell." Lyn explained quickly.

I nodded, "Yeah. Sweet. Let's go together."

The girl smirked, "I prefer to say… _Together, we ride!_ "

We charged through the enemies, my bow wiping out droves on far-off enemies, while the ones that were unlucky enough to get close fell to Lyn's dancing blade.

Now, nothing could get in our way. In an instant, I felt a freedom unlike any other. A joy of this… Odd spree of dashing down lanes with swords swinging and bows raised.

I smiled a bit. I was actually enjoying this.

 **Too bad it would never last…**

* * *

(Ed POV)

I looked up at the towering attack ship, "Hey… Kate, how would you kill that guy up there?"

She shrugged, "Normally, I wait for air support to arrive, and then Napalm starts falling… They aren't going to get that laser up in time, are they?" We looked hopelessly at the ground. Even without any tactical experience, I saw multiple flaws in the plan. The crowded South City was already a wide target; a stray laser there could roast 50 innocent civilians. Our forces were scattered. And if watching 'Independence Day' has thought me anything, it's that at least one of us pilots were going to lose a wingman.

 **We were screwed.**

Suddenly, Kate's eyes widened, **"I GOT IT!"**

She flew straight at one of the many cannons, "Shoot down as many cannons as possible! If we take out its main form of attack, we can strike hard where the sun don't shine!"

"A…Are you…"

 **"** **BARREL ROLL!"**

I spun, as a laser grazed my wing, **"AH! OKAY OKAY I'LL KILL THE DARN LASERS AHHH!"**

We flew at full speed toward the cannons, missiles and lasers blazing.

* * *

(X POV)

Serena hung shyly next to Y, "I…I can't believe there's someone out there who looks like me…"

Y blushed, "I know. It happens every now and again, though. The world is large enough to have at least one person who looks like me exactly, I suppose. But these idiots always try to destroy this one world we share… And that…That is why we fight!"

A few awkward seconds passed between the two, before a loud sound resounded, followed by an explosion. I looked up, "Ed?! What's going on?"

A few pieces of smoking iron rained down, making Serena and Y jump, yelping.

My comm sparked into life, **"X! We're going to try to destroy all its weapons!"** I opened my mouth to protest, before my mind contemplated the full scope of that operation. No lasers essentially meant Sigma's big flying saucer of death was… just a plate in the sky. The follow up blast from the tower would finish it off. As for the debris… Falling to the city…

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I turned to Y, "Y! Are you carrying those spare wing suits I told you to carry a couple of days back when I promised we'd go flying together?"

Y turned towards me, arms folded, "You were too busy stopping a Team Flare uprising that day to go with me… But I still carried them. 2 of them only. Serena can use mine, Tim can use yours, but the Professor…"

I turned to him, "Uh… Sorry…" He chuckled, "Please. Ever wonder why my coat is always so flowing and ungainly?"

* * *

He tore off his lab coat, and my mouth fell open. He was wearing light blue armour, as an arm cannon materialised over an arm. His helmet appeared in a flash of pixels, a similarly blue helmet with a red diamond-shaped forehead gem.

"Like my suit?" he asked, striking a dramatic pose. Everyone's jaws fell open.

Mine especially. So the No.1 scientist for this region had been wearing this armour under his clothes this whole time?!

…I wonder if he can still go to the toilet wearing that?

* * *

Serena pulled the wing suit over her, "I'll see you later on the ground, guys!" With a short salute, she leaped off the building towards the city below.

Tim shrugged, "Text me later." With those parting words, he too leaped into the skies.

Sycamore handed Y and I two small machines, "Hurry, hit the centre switch twice!" I obliged, and suddenly, I was falling…

* * *

 _The weirdest sensation came over me. I looked to my right hand. All of a sudden, a blue arm cannon appeared around it in a flash of light. Blue armour slammed onto me, yet I felt no pain…_

 _I removed my cap, as a blue helmet slammed onto my head, the red forehead gem shining once with a new power._

* * *

I stood up, and looked at myself. I was now in what looked like a clunky version of Y's armour. I raised my arm cannon, enjoying the weight of the weapon. It felt almost natural, like part of my arm…

"Volia! I present to you the **'Live Armour'**!" Sycamore cried, as I admired my sleek metal plating, "But, I may have gotten them mixed up…"

I shrugged, "Well, I suppose using a Mega Arm is quite satisfactory for me. I'll live. But…"

 **"** **Hey! What's this?!"**

I turned, and saw a beauty in red armour.

Y's body was covered in my red armour plating, except it seemed less bulky and had a pistol holstered on her right hip. Her hair was now tied back in a large ponytail behind her, as she pulled a beam sabre from her back, "… Wait, is this X's armour?"

I nodded, "You'll get used to-"

 **"** **Awesome! I always wanted to improve on your bad beam sabre skills!"**

I sweatdropped, "Uh…Sure…"

"But where did you make this, Sycamore?"

He smiled, "I shall tell you…"

* * *

 _"_ _During your first war, I created your armour that you would be currently using now, X's Beam Sabre, not to mention the Mega Arm, right? Well, during this period, I came up with a notion. If we could pull gods into Pokeballs, what was stopping us from creating these… compact armour sets? Long trials began. A friend of mine allowed her son…_ _ **Vent**_ _, was it? Yes, Vent…To participate in these trials. He helped create the first models of this armour, and it was a success! Also, just to test the effects of it on a…female soldier, I got a street girl named… Well, she had a rather serious case of amnesia at the time, so she had no name. I named her_ _ **Aile**_ _, after Vent."_

 _"_ _Ah, wing and wing."_

 _"_ _And so trial after trial ran. Vent and Aile never thought that anything bad would happen to each other… Like a true brother and sister… Then, Team Flare stormed my lab. I was forced, along with Vent and Aile, to defend it from harm. But alas, I lost the schematics for the Mega Core, and… Aile was kidnapped. I was furious. Heartbroken, as well as my spirit harmed, I sent Vent home to his true family, after wiping his mind clear of almost all his memories of my test... But I wonder… Is Aile still out there, bearing my blue uniform?"_

 _Little did we know of the two test subjects' reunion…_

* * *

(Red POV)

Vent crouched around the corner, Mega Arm raised, "Aile, watch the Pikachu. We need to get them over to the tower." Aile nodded, beam sabre in her hand, "Got it… I seem to remember… seeing you somewhere before, Vent…"

The boy shrugged, blasting a few enemies into oblivion, "Perhaps… I can't seem to remember it… But…"

 **"** **UP TOP!"**

Suddenly, with a single graceful movement, Aile leaped up a building, stabbing the drone with her sword.

 _"_ _Why is this so familiar?" she silently pondered, as she landed on the ground._

 _All of a sudden, her shattered mind slowly pieced several pieces together._

* * *

 _Two years ago…_

 ** _"_** ** _UP TOP!"_**

 _The boy wearing the red armour jumped into the air, green blade spinning. With a single motion, he cut through it…_

 _The two halves of the watermelon fell to the ground behind him, as he looked up._

 _Vent saluted quickly, before a half slammed into his head. Wiping off the red juice, Vent chuckled awkwardly, "Actually, Aile, you can use this one. I think I prefer shooting stuff."_

 _Aile smiled, hugging Vent, "Okay…Hey, Vent?"_

 _"_ _Yeah?" he asked, wiping himself off with a small towel._

 _"_ _If we ever… Get in trouble…_ _ **Will you help me?**_ _"_

 _Suddenly, the pair of red armoured hands wrapped around her, as Vent pulled her into another hug._

 _"…_ _Of course I will. I wish you knew who you were, but for now, can I be your big brother? Please?"_

 _Aile blushed softly. She never knew her parents. She had been living on the streets for as long as she could remember. She never had an older brother before…_

 _"…_ _Kay." she blushed, closing her eyes._

* * *

 _Several weeks passed. Sycamore had noted that the holidays were ending for Vent, meaning he had to go back to school._

 _Aile sat next to a window, sighing. Sycamore had told her that he was adopting her until he located her real parents. Sadly, it just wasn't the same without Vent… A Fletchling landed on her head, chirping softly. She smiled a bit, waving it away. Suddenly, a loud sound tore through the building. Vent ran up, gasping, "AILE! ARMOUR UP! NOW!"_

 _She fumbled for the small red device, tapping the switch twice. Instantly, she was covered in the armour she normally wore, as Vent put on his. Sycamore ran in, "Children, there is no time. Team Flare is advancing on my lab!"_

 _Aile gasped. The name was familiar to her… She vaguely remembered her father saying something about them, loudly extolling their values. In actuality, he was just another one of them. She pushed through her foggy mind more._

 _His name was…. Lys…Lysan…_

 _"_ _AILE! BEHIND YOU!"_

 _She had no time to react, as strong strike knocked her to the ground._

* * *

 _Everything went black…_

 _The rain… After the massive super weapon was fired by Lysandre, it was reported it started causing massive amounts of rain to fall all over Kalos._

 _Of course, Aile was oblivious to this._

 _She sat up in an alleyway, her armour sparking…_

 _Tired…Cold…Hungry…_

 _The red armoured figure slumped onto the ground, as her live armour vanished…_

 _Aile's mind sparked as well, before clearing again. She had lost all memory of the event…_

 _Around her neck, the red device flickered, before deactivating._

 _ **It would be two years until Aile had to fight once more…**_

* * *

"O…Of course… It… Vent… Do you remember that lab we worked at? The one with the armour?" she quickly asked.

Vent raised an eyebrow, "A…Armour? I…I'm not sure…"

"C'mon, you need to remember, right? You…" she breathed in, before looking up at him, hopefully.

 _"_ _You said that if I ever got into trouble, you would help me. You said you would be my big brother if everything else failed…"_

 _Suddenly, Vent's mind clicked. He remembered everything._

 _"…_ _Wait…"_

* * *

 _"_ _Wait up, Sycamore! What's going on?"_

 _The two were running down the corridor, as Vent held Aile's limp body over his shoulder. Blue armour clanked as he ran along. The Professor was alongside him, firing a revolver back at the approaching enemies._

 _"_ _Vent, no time to ask questions! We need to get to the safe house!" the scientist exclaimed. In the young child's mind, he distinctly remembered the unconscious Aile over his shoulder._

 _Vent's young mind swam, before setting._

 ** _"_** ** _No. Get to the bunker. I'll stop them!"_**

 _"_ _Vent?! It's…" the professor looked into his eyes. His eyes were worried. Vent remained dead set._

* * *

 _"_ _Listen. If I have to fight… I'll fight. What Team Flare is doing is wrong. You made so many things for both of us… So I'll have to now prove that I can use them for defending our home. Otherwise,_ _ **who will stand up for us?**_ _" the boy's eyes flashed blue for a second under the lab's flickering lights. Blue like the arm cannon he wore…_

 _Sycamore paused, before grimly nodding, "… Very well. Thank you both… I… I hope you'll survive…"_

 _Vent raised his experimental Mega Arm, "If I die… Tell mum I died happy, at least. Now, hurry!"_

 _The professor nodded, running._

* * *

 _Vent turned towards the approaching squad, charging up his arm cannon, "I…I won't let you harm her!"_

 _He fired, the blue stun shot blasting him backwards into a wall. The shot continued on, knocking out all the grunts in the way._

 _Vent felt his armour sparking. He checked his Mega core. It was overheating, and soon to explode. Vent finally decided his ultimate fate._

 ** _"_** ** _YAAAAAAAGGGHHH!"_**

 _The child ran headlong into the fight, as his power core finally…_

 _Exploded…_

* * *

 _Sycamore climbed out of the bunker, revolver in his hand. The soft breeze blew through his hair, as he paused to straighten it slightly._

 _Then, he saw him._

 _Vent, on the ground, bleeding to death slowly. His armour sparked, smoking…_

 _ **"**_ _ **No…VENT!"**_

* * *

The child's eyes snapped back to the present, as Vent gasped, "What… What was… All of a sudden, all of these memories…"

"..." he looked at Aile, "But… I remember… I promised… _I would let nothing hurt you!_ "

Aile grinned. Now this was Vent, as she remembered him.

 _"_ _Alright! Let's finish this!"_

* * *

(Ryu POV)

"Alright! All units, focus fire on that squad!"

Marisso grabbed the attacking unit by the legs, smashing it into a building, "Alright! Time's up, let's do this!" Croaky nodded silently, tossing several shuriken at an unlucky straggler.

I swung my palms in front of me, creating a fireball between them, **"HADOUKEN!"**

X's Chesnaught turned to me, "All we're doing here is battering up enemy after enemy! There needs to be some sort of goal here, or at least something this has meaning for!"

Croaky spat her tongue out of her mouth, "Yeah! We can't just stand here battering people with our attacks! The plot gets less interesting that way!"

We paused to stare at her.

" _Heheheheh…_ Nothing!"

I turned to Marisso, "Your girlfriend's right. We need a goal."

"She is not my girlfriend."

 _"_ _Really?"_

"Yeah."

"ORLY?"

"YA RLY!"

 _"_ _ORLY?"_

 _"_ _YA RLY!"_

 ** _"_** ** _ORLY?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _YA RLY-"_**

Suddenly, a green blur ran in, holding a sniper rifle, **"OUTTA MY WAY!"**

I grabbed it with one hand, " _Excusez moi?!_ We're trying to have logical debate about Croaky here! It's not for kids!"

" Hey! Don't drag my girl into thi-" Marisso blinked, as Croaky turned a deep scarlet.

 _"_ _…Eep."_

"Okay, first, I'm pretty sure that argument was in no way logical. Secondly, I'm freaking 18 years old. I'm not a kid. Thirdly- **ZOMG GIANT MECH!** "

I looked at the speaker, while blasting the attacker away with my free hand. It was an Ivysaur holding a rifle, a slouch hat on her head. She let out a massive sigh of relief, "Wot mate, that was close…"

Tired, she slumped on the ground, "…Ivy. Ivy Oren. I'm one of the good guys." I shook her hand happily, helping her stand up, "Good. Just be careful. Don't fall asleep on the field, that sort of thing."

The sniper replaced the gun on her back, "Sorry… I didn't get enough sleep last night… A certain Squirtle kept snoring way too loudly and…"

 **"** **IVY! I thought we were going to defend that Ryu guy together, not chat up sexy Braixens! What are you, lesbo?!"**

Another Ivysaur, this one with a small black band tied around his front right leg, ran up. He winked at me flirtatiously, "Hey, just saying, you're looking **flaming** today."

 _Everybody roll the cheesy rim shot, the world's worst pick up line has been deployed._

I coughed, "What are you, Homo?"

 **"** **What the heck?! There are MALE BRAIXENS?! OMFG!"** the Ivysaur gaped, looking me over, " Everything I ever knew… Is it a lie?! Uh, quick, answer these questions; Are you a guy, where is your sausage, and are you single?!"

"Yes, Between my legs, and yes." I replied annoyed, rolling my eyes.

Marisso snickered with Croaky behind me. I shut them up with a fire punch to the face.

"Oh my gosh…" Ivysaur began, jaw dropping. He looked me over up and down, taking extra care to investigate my crotch area.

"Yes, now that you're over the shock of your life, can you please tell me what's going on? You're crying like an anime fan on Prom Night." I shot grumpily, "and I'm not talking about Mighty No.9's PR team."

"Oh, right. Ivysaur here. We're looking for this… Ryu guy. Seen him?"

"I'm Ryu."

"… Well! Told you he was here!"

The long-suffering Ivy sighed, "But you- Ugh, never mind. Nobody listens to me…"

* * *

(Pika POV)

Now let me clear things out here.

You don't become a detective by assuming **everything**. No way. I need solid proof to point the finger at someone. That doesn't mean I often get everything correct, by all means. I make mistakes. A lot of mistakes. Once, I thought that a suspect guilty of arson was a Fennekin, just because she was a fire-type. But then Tim pointed out she was on the other side of the city at the time, and it was revealed to have been caused by Team Flare, just for the pure sake of it. If anything, something that always throws me off is human nature.

What could make a man kill another, or ravage a city? Why turn to a life of crime? Why?

My job means I need to ask questions. But not all of them have answers.

And when I look back on past failures, I ask myself, "How could I've been so blind?!"

Tim fell through the air, enjoying the wind in his face. His arms were outstretched, as he flew towards the city, "If only Pika was around to see me. He would be so jealous. He's always wanted to fly!"

He swooped through the air, soaring up past the sun…

Just like Icarus.

Suddenly, a green laser grazed his left wing. He yelped, as the smoking Wing Suit started spiralling towards the ground, "Agh! Mayday! I'm going down!...Come to think of it did I really have to scream Mayday? I mean, I'm not in an aircraft…" Then he remembered his predicament; falling faster and faster towards the ground.

 **"** **Oh, SON OF A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

I looked up at the smoking figure, flailing wildly about as he fell, **"TIM!"**

I was helpless. There he was, plummeting to his doom, as I was stuck, rooted to the ground. And there was nothing I could do.

 _No, Pika! Don't think that!_

 _…_ _I've already lost one good Trainer…_

 **It won't happen again.**

* * *

(X POV)

I fired a few plasma bolts from the Live Armour, blasting cannons on the underside of the ship. Suddenly, a figure wearing a brown cloak landed before us. He looked up, and two glowing red eyes stared at us…

 ** _"_** ** _So… The criminal returns to the scene of the crime…X!"_**

The three of us stared in complete and utter shock at the man before us. His hair was fully burnt off, and two scars were over his eyes, now glowing red. A malevolent red Mega Core on his forehead glared down at us…

I shook my head. This wasn't happening… It couldn't be… it had to be another trick…

Y shook her head, _"So… We meet again!"_

 _ **"**_ _ **Lysandre!"**_

* * *

Z gasped, looking up at the top of the tower, "Go! I need you to handle the crowds with Tracer! There's some… Unfinished business I need to take care of." The Pokemon Go employee nodded, "Alright. I think things are going by quick, but… come home safely, ok?"

Z crouched down before her, bowing his head, before standing up, " _CHAR!"_

 _He sent out another Pokemon, taking to the skies on wings of fire and fury. His brown eyes filled with flames._

* * *

 _ **"**_ _ **SIGMA!"**_

I stumbled on the tower, shakily aiming my arm cannon at the terrorist leader who I supposedly 'killed', "B…But… **How?!** " Y nodded, readying her beam sabre, nervously, "Wait, you were Sigma this whole time?! But… You're dead! We killed you with a ancient super weapon!"

* * *

 _Lysandre laughed at us, pulling out his own beam sabre. It was longer, the green blade shining with a dark unholy power, "Ah, but I had planned in case a fool like you would destroy my creation… My body may not have survived, but for_ _ **as long as Team Flare exists…**_ _"_

 _Sigma swung his sword, knocking Sycamore back, "_ _ **As long as this world is imperfect…**_ _"_

 _The cyborg of the enemy leader slammed an iron boot into Y, "_ _ **As long as the evils of this injustice exists…**_ _"_

 _He stormed up to me, grabbing me in a choke hold, "_ _ **I shall never die!**_ _"_

 _Y blasted his back with a charge shot, making him drop me to the ground. Sycamore fired a revolver at his head, before we regrouped. The cannon on my arm charged a blue plasma bolt of fury, as we dashed at each other._

 _I glared at him,_ ** _"You'll never win! I've stopped you before! I will defeat you again!"_**

* * *

 _Z landed on the roof, "Oi, Siggy! Over here!"_

 _Sycamore looked him, "Z?! What…"_

 _Z smiled, "Syc, I need armour! Quick, do you happen to have any more Live Armour things with you?!" "How do you…" "That's what communicators are for. I heard it over the comms! Quick, no time!"_

 _The Professor handed Z a small module. Z slammed it on,_ ** _"Powering Up!"_**

* * *

 _Sigma glared at us, slashing at me. I fell back, as Y counter-attacked with her blade. It was two flies fighting an elephant, our attacks did almost nothing to him._

 _Until a new factor entered the battlefield._

 _A series of fast yellow bolts peppered Lysandre's chest! A blue blur slammed in before us, pulling out a sword and stabbing him rapidly in the chest. He pulled out a bomb, throwing it at our enemy._

 ** _Z_** _stood up, holding an odd tablet in one hand as a Mega Arm covered the other, "Battle set!"_

* * *

 _He wore a blue armour, similar to my own, except the sides of his helmet were yellow instead of light blue, brown hair poking out the back. His body was covered by a thin but strong black bodysuit, with a red pokeball logo on the front. On his back was a blue energy core, and he wore blue boots…_

* * *

Z tapped the tablet, and a sword sprouted out of his arm, "I was never on for this… confusing battle mechanic, but hey, I'm fighting!"

Sycamore smiled, "This is a prototype armour; the _EX_ Armour! It was, however, designed to be used by two people…" I looked at the tablet. There was a display of several weapons on it, and a single button with a sword insigna was flashing.

Sigma slammed his fist into the ground, as Z switched to his Mega Arm. He blasted several shots at his head, before turning to his Charizard, "Char! I need help! Bring her here! Hurry!"

The dragon took off, weaving to the skies, as Z put the tablet on the ground, raising his weapon. I turned to Sycamore, "Switching weapons with that tablet is a disadvantage, you know…" Syc shrugged, "It was a prototype… Two people need to operate it…"

Z nodded, "And I know just who can help me…"

* * *

(Red POV)

We dashed over to Yellow, who nodded, "Great work, Vent and Aile! We now should have enough power to charge the beam!" I smiled, as the orphaned Pikachu began running about happily, "Was there any doubt?"

"Yes."

"…"

Yellow held out a map, spreading it on the ground, "Tracer has been working to congregate the crowds together with Z. There are 4 stations, stationed at each corner of the tower. Our Pikachu force here is **61** strong… We need **3** more to evenly balance out the power."

I blinked. There wasn't enough Pikachu. This couldn't be happening… After all we did, we were still **3** short…

 _"_ _Excuse me…"_

Aile tapped me on my shoulder, "Don't you have a Pikachu? As well as Yellow?"

"Oh yeah… How could I be so blind?" I gasped, slapping my forehead, "Right, that means we're still one out. And that's still a problem…"

 **"** **Maybe I can help!"** a high-pitched, annoying and familiar voice cried.

But now, that annoying voice couldn't have been more welcome.

* * *

(Pika POV)

Tim spiralled towards the ground, picking up speed in his destroyed wingsuit, "This is bad! This is BAAAAD!"

Suddenly, a yellow blur flashed skywards, grabbing onto his back. Tim looked up, to see his old friend and partner flying up.

 **"** **Pika!** But how?!"

I smiled, "It was quite simple, really! I just charged up a negative charge, allowing me to repel off the ground into the skies." Tim stared at me, "This is the first time I've actually seen you charge up electricity… How did it feel?"

I didn't respond, deep in thought. When I first charged up energy, it fell like something new… Something I never did before… But at the same time, it felt as if it was the most natural thing in the world…

 **"** **INJURED CIVILLIAN ON OUR SIX! OPEN THE DOORS!"**

A helicopter with the Team Plasma logo suddenly flew up. With no time to question what they were doing so far from Unova, I flew towards them, Tim in tow, through the open doors, and into the cabin.

* * *

 _The pilot turned to us, "Great work. Now, let me handle this." A boy in blue smiled, aiming his gatling gun at the enemies below, "Just like old times?"_

 _The pilot removed his helmet, as green tresses flowed out, "Agreed."_

* * *

(Ed POV)

 **"** **Attention Kalosians and Kalos Defence teams. This is the Team N defence units. We are engaging cover fire. You have no need to fear us. And to Red; How is it going?"**

Suddenly, a squad of helicopters flew in, each with a minigun loaded on the front. They opened fire on the main ship, launching a hail of bullets, missiles and anger. Kate whooped, "Here's the air support!"

A single helicopter flew up beside me, and I looked into the cockpit.

 _N saluted back, as Black spun into the air, sitting next to him._

 _I saluted silently, gunning my engines._

 _ **"**_ _ **HERE WE GO!"**_

* * *

(Red POV)

 _"_ _This is 'Hero of Time' to 'Kanto touch this'! Do you read me?"_

I nodded, "'Hero of Time', this is 'Kanto touch this'. Do you have 'Christmas tree' and 'Michelle Bay' on board?"

Black chuckled nervously, as N and White glared at him, "Yeah. Red, should we drop the codenames?"

"Nah. I secretly like watching you suffer." I smirked, "Anyway, did you pick up the package?"

N nodded, "We found it buried in the ruins. Your transmisson managed to reach us just in time. Any sooner, and we'd have been spotted. Any later… And a missile would've sent us to Reshiram again eternally."

White nodded, "I don't want Black to die. Not after having him back so soon." The named trainer beamed, "Wow… Thanks, White."

Two cardboard packages fell into my arms. I handed one to Vent, and another to Aile, "Merry early Christmas. Hurry, suit up!"

Vent's face lit up, as he tore open the box, revealing…

 _Live Armour._

 ** _Vent slammed it on, "ROCKING ON!"_**

* * *

(X POV)

Z fell backwards, clutching his arm, "...Gah..." Sigma approached him, a metallic hand reaching for his tablet, "Your toys shall not defeat me. Return to your ranch, **EDWARD!** "

Z's brown eyes burnt with fury, "Never! I'm… **_I won't let you hurt another generation!_** _"_

Suddenly, a red blur snatched up the device, kicking Lysandre in the groin. She inspected the device quickly, put the pieces together, and tapped a key, **_"I got ya! One sword, coming up! Get him, Z!"_**

His eyes never wavered, as a blue laser beam sprouted from his arm, **_"GGGGYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_**

I gasped, as Z kicked off the tower's central aerial, spearing Sigma through the chest.

 **"** **Cannon!"**

He smiled, bringing his right hand before him. It transformed into a rather large green cannon, blasting a massive glowing ball of blue plasma directly into Sigma's chest.

The cyborg stumbled, shocked, "How… Who are you?"

 **Go** smirked, as Z ran up beside her, "Hey, I got the hang of this!"

Standing frozen, Lysandre never saw me roll behind him, blowing a hole in his power core. Following my lead, Y slashed at his wounded arm.

Sigma fell back, clutching his bleeding arm, "You...You fools… I shall end this folly!"

 **"** **Yeah, hold that thought."**

* * *

Suddenly, a helicopter flew overhead. A door opened, and a blue figure, followed by a red one, leapt out. The blue hero started charging up a blue bolt in his Mega Arm, aiming it downwards. The red one did the same…

The duo blasted Sigma, landing from the blast. The boy in blue turned to Sycamore, **_"Told you I'd come back for you, right?"_**

* * *

Sycamore gasped, " ** _Vent?! Aile?!_** How… Nevermind!"

 _Both children were wearing a form of our armour, except more… I'd say 'cartoony'. Instead of a red forehead gem, Vent had a light-blue square on the front of his helmet. Aile's armour seemed odder though, with parts of the Mega Arm exposed. On her back was a white and red shield, as well as a yellow scarf tied around her neck…_

Z slapped me out of my thoughts, "Hey! Sigma here! Trying to kill us all! Focus on the fight!"

I smiled, "Alright. Well, **here we come!** "

* * *

(Ryu POV)

I dove behind a building, watching the teams of electric types gather around the tower. Already, some were charging up energy for the ultimate blast.

Marisso smiled, "How amazing… Some may say that we saved Kalos, but in reality… Kalos saved itself." Croaky smiled a little, "Look; everyone in helping. Isn't it ironic that a disaster that was created to tear us apart… is actually bringing us together."

I nodded slowly, not noticing a tall figure looming up behind me…

 **"** **NINJA!"**

A dark blue figure jumped behind me, making me pull out my flaming sword and swing it around madly, **"OHGODIMALLERGICTONINJAS!LEAVEMEYOUJOHTOESESHADOW!KYAAAAAA!"** Lucas jumped back, gasping, **"ZOHMAGOSH!"**

Croaky sighed, slapping me, "Calm down! It's just a Lucario!" I stopped slashing, and looked at the petrified blue figure.

"...So it is. Sorry, Lucas."

The Lucario shrugged, "Sorry. I shouldn't have scared you like that. You're such a wuss." I rolled my eyes, "Oh, up yours." "No, up yours." "No, _up yours._ " " ** _Up yours_**." " ** _UP YOURS!_** "

Marisso rolled his eyes, sighing, "Just _great…_ "

Both of us took in deep breaths, ready to start the yelling contest….

 ** _"_** ** _UP YOURSSSSSSS-"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Uh, excuse me?"_**

We stopped, mid-scream, to look at the stranger. Lucas was the first to speak, "What? Can't you see we're in the middle of something very important?!"

It was a Braixen, wearing a red bucket hat with a pair of white sunglasses on the brim, similar to Y, _"I'm Braixen. I'm looking for my trainer,_ _ **Serena**_ _. Have you seen her?"_

I shrugged, "Sorry, no. I mean, what d'ya expect? It's not like people just drop from the sky-"

 **"** **BRAIXEN!"**

* * *

A red blur slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. It must've dove out of the skies or something. The girl wearing the red wing suit squeezed me tightly, "Oh my gosh, are you okay? Tell me your tail isn't messed up again! Will a shampoo fix it? I have a few Poke Puffs here! Want one-" Lucas pulled the panicking girl off me, "That's Ryu. Braixen is over there."

The girl looked between us, before giggling, "Of course. You both look so similar. Why, I could almost think you two were related!"

I looked over at Braixen, who blushed shyly. I shook my head, making sure my red headband I had kept tied on the whole time hadn't been knocked off.

"Sorry! I'm **Serena!** I just managed to evacuate from the top of the tower!" she blurted out, "Trainer X saved me! He's so cute! Not as cute as **Ash** , mind you, but-" She stared at Marisso, "Wait, are you one of his pokemon?"

Marisso shook his head slowly, sweating incredibly.

"No? Okay. You just look awfully familiar." she inspected him over, "You even have the same scar on your right cheek that Marisso has!"

Marisso began to look increasingly worried, as we started snickering behind his back.

"But, if you say you aren't Marisso, then I'll take your word for it." Serena shrugged, "I mean, whose word am I going to take, the word of around the 50 million+ news reports and bios about Marisso, or a random Chesnaught I met on the street literally 5 seconds ago?"

A small puddle of sweat had gathered around Marisso's feet. Croaky fell to the ground, laughing like a maniac. Lucas was filming the whole encounter on a small camera, snickering. I rolled my eyes, leaning on a nearby wall.

* * *

(Zinnia POV)

We arrived at the south entrance, after a long period of combat. Lyn sheathed her sword, "Well, here we are; Southern Entrance. _I guess this is goodbye, then._ "

Wait, how did she know?

I bit my lip. It was true… I had really no choice but to leave. I was originally going to ask Red for help with my situation, but it seemed he had bigger fish to fry now… And I was a fugitive, for goodness sake. The cops were after me…

I placed a hand on Lyn's shoulder, "…How did you know?" "I saw it when you fought. You weren't holding back, as if…" Lyn hesitated, "Well, do you have anywhere to go? Anywhere to stay?"

I shook my head, "I don't really… I just sleep on Rayquasa's back… I don't really have a home."

Lyn nodded, "So, you're a hobo?"

I slapped her, "I prefer _fugitive_. The cops are on me, and-"

 _ **Suddenly, fan service!**_

* * *

 _The author lowered his cup of coffee, leaning back on his chair. All was well with the world._

 ** _"_** ** _YO MA PEEPS, PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR MINDS BLOWN TO BITS WITH MICHAEL BAY AWESAUCE EXPLOSIONS! THE CALVARY HAS ARRIVED, AND IS READY TO KICK SOME O DAT ASS! LET'S DO THIS!"_**

 _Spoke too soon._

 _The room shook, as a figure activated a portal and leapt in, screaming a battle cry. The Author spilt his coffee over his jeans, "What the… Oh…"_

 _Rolling his eyes, he pulled out his 3DS, "I'll just pretend nothing happened… Ah… The beauty of ignorance…"With a snap of his fingers, all the spilt coffee floated back up into his cup. He picked it up, resuming to drink…_

 _A loud rumbling sounded. A giant tactical vehicle drove into the room, knocking over his coffee again, before vanishing into the portal as well. With that, the portal vanished. The author groaned, "You give a guy_ ** _one_** _crossover…"_

* * *

(Sam's POV)

" **HAIL HYDRA!** " I yelled jumping through the floating portal in the air. I dropped to the ground, executing a perfect commando roll before jumping up straight. "That went well. Oh." I noticed the two young females staring in shock at the fact that I just appeared out of thin air. " _Excuses moi, porchev vore._ I'm on a secret misson here ladies, so I would please appreciate if you could evacuate the area. There is absolutely nothing to see here." A Textron Land Marine Systems Tiger materialised, with a girl wearing a MCH manning a gunners post on the roof.  
"Great, we have witnesses. What do we do?" Asked **Ania**. I shrugged. "Just leave them. They're not dangerous or anything." A sudden roar made us look at the immense bulk of a Team Flare attack carrier. "There's the source of the disturbance," **Cape** mused while winding down the window. "That carrier is using **ARCSTRIKE** technology." A cannon on the bottom began to charge up with purple plasma. "Oh no…"

I pushed the two innocent bystanders into the car and jumped in the back. "ENEMY RAILGUN STRIKE INCOMING! SPENCER PUNCH IT, NOWNOW **NOW!** " The armoured car took off, zigzagging left and right in reverse as Spencer tried desperately not to get hit. A tree branch came dangerously close to smacking Ania's head as she closed the roof hatch, but the speeding branch whipped her arm. "Yow. Spencer be careful!"

"Do you even know how to drive this thing?!" Lyn shouted. **Spencer** hit the brakes and locked the steering, causing the truck to spin 180 into the right direction. "Normally, I'd lie and say yes, but considering the fact that I almost drove us into a tree, I'm going to have to say no." The laser barrage finally ended, and Spencer jerked us all forwards. "I still got twice your skill brother." Spencer smirked as our little gang of anomalies drove on…

* * *

(X POV)

Sigma glowed with an unholy light, before blasting all 7 of us back. I stood up, my arm cannon already charging. But it was no use. Lysandre looked back at us, his damaged armour repaired.

Z sighed, _"Hoo boy…"_

The terrorist glared at him, drawing his sword, _"Thanks to the power of an antimatter disturbance, I was brought back to life by mysterious technology. I remember… I was trapped in another world… One without Pokemon…_ _ **But still, it was flawed!**_ _So I stole some technology to bring me back… And with it,_ _ **my empire rose again!**_ _"_

Y rolled her eyes, "Great…" Vent sighed, "He's spouting all that nonsense about his empire! He's gone crazy."

I smiled grimly readying my gun, "Well, antimatter alien tech or not, that doesn't change anything! Lysandre, this is a final warning! Give up your evil ambitions now! This isn't the way to create a better world! You have failed twice, so make this time different! **_I shall forgive you! Kalos shall forgive you! Please, for a better world… One where all can be free…Free to dream, free to smile… A world of our hopes and dreams… I beg you, please surrender!_** "

There was silence, before Lysandre's eyes glowed a malevolent, cold, blue, _"This will be different… I shall succeed! Die…You pathetic, insignificant_ _ **BLUE BASTARD!**_ _"_

 _The red gem on my head shone. I looked up, brown eyes burning with fury._

 _ **"**_ _ **So be it… Sigma!"**_

* * *

 _We ran forward, Mega Arms blazing with plasma. The heroes of Kalos, united as one…_

 _The children, Vent and Aile, bonded by an unbreakable bind forged by mystery…_

 _The scientist, Sycamore, the man who created the world we lived in…_

 _The next generation of trainers, Z and Go…_

 _And the old generation, Y and I…_

 _United._

* * *

 **"** **AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!"**

 _A battle cry echoed throughout the city. The winds slowly blew through the trees…_

 _A single leaf blew off in the wind…_

 _I slammed my fist into the ground, the shockwave knocking our enemy back. Sigma got up again slowly, "You have grown… But it is not enough, insolent fly!"_

 _I dodged, my arm raised, "Well, good thing flies are quick, then!"_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Let it grow. Let it live."_**

 _ **"**_ _ **Let us see what it will bring."**_

* * *

 _My mind flickered, as those words flashed by. I smiled. The region's anthem, KISEKI. A song of hope, of justice, a bright future for all. I lived and breathed those lyrics. Heck, I even named the entire gang after them…_

Y pointed at something, snapping me out of my thoughts, **"X, behind him!"**

I looked behind our enemy. Strapped on the underside of the ship hovering overhead were several glowing boxes. They glowed from an unearthly energy…

I made an assumption. Those boxes must be separate to the main Mega Core, meaning…

 _Bingo._

 _ **"**_ _ **Antimatter Alien Tech located!"**_

* * *

(Ed POV)

 **"** **This is X! All units, concentrate fire on the glowing boxes underneath the ship!"**

I squinted out of the Zero Wing's polarised transparisteel cockpit. I could faintly spot ten or so glowing boxes attached to the underside of the aircraft. I also noticed X, Y, Z, Sycamore, a girl wearing a red shirt and cap and two kids with armour fighting a taller, green armoured bald man, burnt red hair sticking out from the top of his head and under his ass-chin.

Now that I think about it, the longer you stare at it, the more it looks like an ass.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I gripped the main controls, "Will do, X. You take care of ass-chin up there!"

 **"** **Ass-chin? Wait…"** Z stopped, thinking for a second, before nodding, **"Hey, his chin does look like an ass!"**

Kate rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because that's _totally_ relevant. Ed, I'll shoot the box-things." I nodded, flicking the right thumbstick on the control pad twice to roll into battle.

 _ **"**_ _ **That won't be necessary!"**_

* * *

Suddenly, an arrow with a long iron cable attached clamped onto the attack carrier. There was a soft grunt through our codecs, before a familiar figure flew up, attached to the cable by a powerful winch on his bow.

 **Sam Lowell** dunked his fist, swinging over to the nearest box and firing another grappling arrow to tether himself directly next to it, **"Told you I was part of an inter-dimensional strike force!** "

I sputtered, nearly falling out of the air, "But-How-The-Buh?!" Kate gibbered some confused sounds, "Bu…But…You _died! You're_ _ **dead!**_ How are you still alive, much less how are you able to do that?!"

Sam shrugged, "Soldiers never die. They simply go to hell and regroup. Alright, enough talk. Ed, take care of any turrets! Kate, your ship can hover, right?"

"What are you-"

"Can it hover?" he asked impatiently, opening up the box with a monkey wrench and carefully unplugging a device from it.

The mercenary sighed, nodding. Sam smiled, "Excellent. Hey, ever heard of a _trust fall?_ "

With that, Sam released the cable, falling through the air. The girl gasped, dashing and hovering beneath the possibly mentally unstable 4th wall breaker.

Sam chuckled, "Looks like I _can_ trust you! How convenient!" Kate looked like she was on the verge of opening the cockpit and slapping Sam off the craft. Luckily for all the Arcstrike fans (And Sam!), she took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes, and opened them again, relaxed.

 ** _Then_** **she punched open the cockpit and started yelling at Samuel!**

Sorry, people, we tried.

 **"** **WHAT THE BLOODY F*** ARE YOU F***KING HIGH ON, YOU LITTLE D***HEAD?!"** she bellowed, shaking the plane slightly as the gyros combated her screaming, **"YOUR DAMN LITTLE F***WIT OF A D*** PLAN NEARLY MADE ME F***ING HAVE A G**DAMN HEART ATTACK! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***! F***!"**

A few seconds passed, as the Author began reconsidering the story's rating.

Sam started, "Actually, I preferred you when you were silent."

Kate rolled her eyes, "Whatever. What the heck do you need me to-"

"Look alive. Those _antimatter generators_ won't take too kindly to you shooting them." Sam muttered, firing at another one. Kate scoffed, firing her guns at one nearby, "As if-"

 ** _"_** ** _DON'T!"_** Sam exclaimed, as the box exploded.

A **_miniature black hole_** appeared, widening as it began consuming all around it, including the gobsmacked pilot, **"What the- F**K! F**CKING HELL!"**

She barrel rolled repeatedly, attempting to escape the large black vortex, screaming various profanities as she spun. Seriously, I stopped counting how many she yelled after it reached triple digits.

Suddenly, the small rift collapsed in on itself, blowing up a small segment of the ship.

Kate shuddered, hugging herself, "Actually, I'm good with you handling it."

Sam smiled, "Wonderful!"

* * *

(X POV)

I raised my Mega Arm, as Z drew his sword again, "Go, any strategies?" The programmer smiled, "Hell yeah. X's suit allows him to dash, right? If Y, and the other two could all dash around Ass-chin, Z and I can strike while he's disoriented." Y shook her head, "Really?"

Go glared at her, "I'm thinking!"

Vent blasted Lysandre in the chest, "Eat plasma!" The terrorist chuckled, " **Ah…That's no way to talk** ** _to your father…_** **VENT LYSANDRE!** "

We gasped. Then, I stated what everyone was thinking, "…Vent is… Sigma's… _Son?!_ "

The child shook his head, "Dad… I remember him faintly… He was never around when I needed him… Mom never approved of your plans… I'm sorry, father."

Sycamore sighed, "I said a friend had volunteered his kids. Lysandre… he was once friends with me, remember?"

I shook my head, "Alright. Vent, let's kill your daddy." "Got it! This wasn't my father I remember… He wasn't this metallic…" Vent's green eyes looked up, " **Attack!** "

Aile blocked a few shots with her shield, before firing her own gun at his Lysandre's back. The leader seemed confused, as she levelled her gun to his face.

 _"…_ _Ashe? My daughter…"_

Aile glared at him, "I'm not sure what you are trying to say. All I know is that you're threatening Kalos, so it is my duty to stop you!" Lysandre smiled darkly, "Oh… I think it is your duty to follow me… Ashe!"

* * *

 _Suddenly, Aile's mind clicked. She had seen that face before, one day…_

 _Lysandre… Was…_

 _Her father too?!_

* * *

"After I divorced that good-for-nothing wife, I took you with me, Ashe." Sigma smiled, looking at our confusion and shock, "I raised you to follow Team Flare… Ashe… Destroy them!"

Aile turned towards us, charging her Mega Arm…

 _However, as she did, she winked to Vent._

 _Her brother nodded slightly back._

 **"** **I will… DESTROY ALL ENEMIES!"**

* * *

(Ed POV)

"Kate, how many generators remain?"

Sam hacked open another device, pulling it under his arm, "Second-to-last one!" Kate nodded, "Okay. Well, this is a little quick, but…"

The black-haired traveller hopped back on Kate's aircraft, "One more to go, then we can take this thing out. My allies are below, helping deactivate the generators I'm holding remotely."

I spun, a laser grazing my wing, "Hurry up, Sam!"

The archer drew his bow, took aim…

* * *

 _"_ _That's as far as you'll go!"_

Suddenly, a red and black jet, similar to ours, soared past us, nearly clipping my wing. I gasped, flying after it, "Another enemy?! I'm taking you down!"

Sam swung over to the last generator, "Alright… Crud. This one's rusted up. It may take longer to remove…"

Kate shook her head, "Never mind! This new enemy is attacking! We need to take it down!" I nodded quickly, as it flew straight at me once more…

I flew straight at the enemy, lasers blazing. The Team Flare ace flew up behind me, shooting the back of my aircraft. I dodged, all kinds of sensors flashing red in my cockpit. We looped into a spin, the enemy still hot on my tail, "Shoot! He's right behind me!"

Kate barked into her comm, "Ed! Use the brake!" I slowed down, wing flaps opening on my scorched white wings as I fell behind the enemy pilot, "What the heck?!" I replied with a burst of lasers, skilfully decimating the aircraft's left wing. The pilot looped around at me, firing lasers…

Sam tossed the screw to the ground, dropping his screwdriver by accident. Luckily, he had attached it to his belt with a chain, allowing him to retrieve it quickly, "That was close…"

We flew towards each other once more. I gunned my engines, before an idea popped into my mind. I flicked the right control stick to the right repeatedly, spinning faster and faster toward the target. The enemy began firing lasers at me, but they bounced off the shield.

 **"** **I really don't have time for a Star Wolf joke!"** I yelled, smashing through the enemy craft like a flying drill bit. My aircraft shredded through the steel, as I flew out of the explosion.

Kate looked impressed, "I never thought of using the shield as a drill… Wait, SAM!"

We turned to where the boy was hanging, in time to watch him fire another arrow onto the tower and swing off to god knows where…

I turned to Kate, confused, "Who…was that?"

With a shrug, Kate took off once more.

* * *

(X POV)

Lysandre stood up again, badly wounded, "No…My antimatter generators!" Z smiled a bit, "It's kinda funny, isn't it? Johtoese has a term to describe you, actually; _Baka_. It means, ' _Displaying your weak points on the outside of your war machine'!_ "

Aile ran at Vent, "Die, mortal!" Vent dodged a few shots, as I stepped in to back him up. She battered me over the head with her shield, "Aile! Don't-"

We fell back wounded, "G…Gah!" Aile walked up to Lysandre. The cyborg laughed, "Excellent, my daughter."

I closed my eyes, _"I…I trusted… you…_ "

The child bowed, "They thought they could stop you… _ **AND I WILL!**_ "

* * *

 _(Author's Note: When I wrote this scene, I was listening to ROCKMAN HOLIC- Together as One. It's a great song. You need to search it up.)_

* * *

 _A green blade, flashing out of nowhere, sliced off Lysandre's right hand. Without another thought, she kicked the man to the ground, "Dad…_ ** _I won't let you take any more!_** _"_

 _Vent cheered, "Alright!"_

 _Aile winked at him again, the two wings now united._

Red blew a whistle, **_"CHARGE!"_**

The teams standing by each leg of the tower started charging up power…

An aerial on top of the tower began sparking lightly. Lysandre weakly looked up, "Defeated… By my own children?!...How…Unstylish… Never mind…" He motioned to the attack carrier above us, "You still don't know my power…"

I walked up to him, "Ja. But what you don't know is that we have a plan that I don't know, because I forgot." Y rolled her eyes, "Oh, bother…."

Suddenly, Go pulled out a megaphone, **"I'MA FIRIN' MAH LAZOR! GUAAAAARRRRR!"**

 _We all turned to the tower, and realized it was glowing with an incredible power. Z smiled, pulling out his red logo cap and pulling it onto his helmet, "_ ** _PK THUNDER!_** _"_

* * *

 ** _The tower blasted a massive blue beam into the heavens, as the entire city shuddered. All the citizens looked up, as storm clouds gathered around the tower. Then, from the heavens above, 3 figures emerged; A blue deer with glowing antlers, a red eagle with shining wings, and a green snake._**

 ** _X nodded to Y, and Z nodded to both legends._**

 ** _They fired at the same time at the carrier overhead, as a massive ball of flame engulfed everything in sight._**

 _ **The Earth shook with their final blast.**_

* * *

(Ed POV)

A blinding flash of light obscured my view, as I yelped. Kate was similarly shocked, as the two aircraft were shaken by the blast.

N barked into his Codec, **"All units, DEPLOY OPERATION N.E.T!"**

The helicopters, now hovering in a hexagonal formation around the city, flashed golden for a second. Suddenly, hundreds of glowing orange rectangles formed between them, ala an Arena Ball's hard light dome. A massive platform appeared around the city, as the debris fell upon it.

* * *

 _On the ground, the civilians looked up in amazement, as their city was protected from the raining steel by the shield. In particular, a group of 3 friends looked up in awe; one a brown haired girl, one an orange haired researcher, and the last a chubby dancer._

 _ **Tierno**_ _smiled, pointing at the top of the tower, "X is back."_

* * *

 _X looked at the trio of legendaries, now flying back into the heavens. He saluted_ _ **Xerneas**_ _, who nodded silently back. Y waved at_ _ **Yvetal**_ _, who spun into the air. As for Z?_

 _He ran over to the side of the building, where_ _ **Zygarde**_ _was hovering. They fistbumped, before the legendary soared up into the heavens._

 _Smoke rose from Prism Tower- No._

 _ **The Luminose Gun smoked.**_

* * *

"Guargh… You…"

The groan surprised X a bit. He turned to face Lysandre, lying on the ground. His body was damaged, sparking and smoking.

 _ **"**_ _ **You…shall…never…defeat…me…"**_ _he rasped, dragging himself towards X, "You have only scored a temporary victory… My spirit will always remain intact… I…I_ ** _will return, X…Y….and Z…I shall see you soon… Very soon…_** _"_

 _Xavier contemplated this for a few seconds._

* * *

 _The war had ended for now… And peace may have been restored…_

 ** _But those who had sacrificed themselves for the victory would never return._**

 _Exhausted, X gazed out at the destruction he helped cause and wondered why he chose to fight._

 ** _Was there another way?_**

 _Standing upon the tower, the answers seem to escape him. He only knows he'll fight Team Flare again before he finds his answer._

 ** _How long will he keep on fighting?_**

 ** _How long will his pain last?_**

 ** _…_**

 _ **Maybe only the allies standing beside him know…**_

 _"_ _True… I may never be able to end all the wars you cause, Lysandre…" X aimed his Mega Arm at the terrorist's head, "But that's just it, right? The never-ending battle continues. Until all destructive forces are defeated… Until the world is finally at peace…_ _ **I'll fight. We'll fight. For Everlasting Peace…**_ _"_

 _Z joined in, "And… Well, I guess X's right. I may not be a warrior, nor a hero, but… Even I know what's right."_

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Search out, find a way."_**

 ** _"_** ** _A point where we can all meet."_**

 ** _"_** ** _The point where we are the same."_**

 ** _"_** ** _There it lies, the future we seek."_**

* * *

 _X motioned to Z, "Z, you have the honours." The boy deactivated his armour, smiling, "I've been wanting to do this for a long time."_

 _He wound up his foot, aiming at Sigma's head._

 _Z smirked,_ _ **"HASTA LA VISTA, REDHEAD!"**_

 _He kicked the mutilated body off the building, into the moat beneath the tower._

* * *

X turned to Z, "He probably survived." Z shrugged, pulling out a chocolate bar and gnawing on it, "Sue me. I like sequels."

Y hugged X, "We did it… We killed Lysandre… It's all over… For…" She slumped, falling asleep on his shoulder, her mouth curved into a content grin.

X stroked her blond hair, as N landed nearby. The green-haired pilot turned to X, "Mission Status?"

X was only too happy to say the next two words.

* * *

 **[MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!]**

 **[REGION COMPLETED!]**

* * *

 **[Saving…]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

 _As the sun set on the rejoicing city, two aircraft landed. The pilots climbed out tiredly, a boy and a girl. The boy in red stumbled across wreckage towards the other pilot. Both nodded to each other silently, slumping at last on top of each other and drifting off to sleep…_

 _I pulled Kate towards me, silently yawning. Eventually, my eyelids grew weary… narrowed…_

 _And shut._

* * *

I know, I know. This chapter ended too quickly, but this IS the largest chapter in the current series. Besides, with the appearance of, Detective Pikachu, Zinnia, the 'default' female Pokemon Go player, as well as Z, my character in Pokemon Y, you have to admit this would take a while.

Also, at some point in this chapter, I actually typed out the entire ending monologue for both the first MegaMan game as well as MegaMan X. Why did I choose to make the Kalos arc based off Capcom's greatest franchise? Honestly, I think it was because both had X in their names.

And finally, Vent and Aile. Both based off Megaman ZX. I was bored, okay? They won't be seen again anytime soon.

So... The first POV Switch chapter. A chapter where the POV switches rapidly from person to person, allowing me to tell many various stories at once.

By the way, I'm making a new series, so I might take a while-

 ** _COMING SOON!_**

 **POKEMON REDNECK AND BOGAN: THE PARODY!**

 **Ed OUT!**

* * *

 _Annoyed, Leaf leaned back, sighing, "They forgot me..."_


	7. Chapter 7: A New Day

**Chapter 7: A New Day**

* * *

 **[Loading Save…]**

 **[Save Loaded!]**

* * *

[Kalos, Luminose City North]

 _…_

 _…_

 _W…_

 ** _What was I drinking…?_**

 _The first thoughts since she fell asleep yesterday pushed through her partially hung-over mind. With her foggy memory now snapping back into order, she surveyed her current location and status._

 _'_ _Luminose City…War…Giant laser…Landed aircraft….Fell asleep…'_

 _Kate paused for a second, as the final thought pushed through her cloudy memory._

 _ **'…**_ _ **Ed is hugging me.'**_

* * *

Several Fletchlings vacated the area, as a loud scream interrupted their birdsong.

 **"** **WHAT THE HECK?!"**

* * *

I flipped out of sleep, getting into a marksman's crouch, shotgun raised, **"MAVERICKS!"**

Silence.

A hand tapped me on the head. I looked up. It was Kate. She was staring at me as if I was insane, "Ed, what's going on?" I pulled out my watch, checking the time, "Well, we slept from, like, 5 PM last chapter to literally 5 AM this chapter. Leaf's segment was even omitted because the author was that tired." The pilot blinked, "You can tell all that by staring at your watch?" "Yeah."

Suddenly, a sound of an engine rumbled through the alleyways. Dust was kicked up into the air, as a large shadow fell over us. I looked up, "Night again?"

A helicopter landed nearby, its twin rotors spinning as it hovered in to land. A yellow blur dashed out, knocking Kate and I to the ground.

Yellow squished us both together happily, "Ed! Kate! You're ok!" The blond girl seemed ecstatic that both of us were standing, or rather, lying before her alive. As my head was held against Kate's chest, I'm pretty sure I heard some bones softly cracking.

"Can't….Breathe…" Kate gasped, as Yellow released us from her death grip. "Sorry!" she innocently chirped, "Well, the last few days have been hard on both of you, so maybe now we can finally rest! That is, after you've met the new people joining the Dexholders!"

Out of the helicopter came Z, wearing his standard red jumper and another girl, this one wearing a red dress with several white lines running down it as well as a red cap, walked up. Our Pokemon climbed out as well, Squirtle happily jumping on my shoulder and Char on Kate's head.

I chuckled, "Z, you're-"

The League champion shrugged, "Well, I suppose a little adventure can't hurt. And the Dexholders always have that sort of thing happening! Besides, **Go** 's coming too!" The girl wearing the red shirt smiled, blushing a bit, "While you were asleep, we… kinda…We kissed on top of the tower, okay? That what you wanted to hear?"

Kate slapped her back (quite strongly too.), "Hey, more allies! I'm good with that! Welcome aboard!"

Red climbed out of the helicopter, "Well, Ed. Mission accomplished. The terrorists are on the run, and our PR is celebrating like crazy." I raised an eyebrow, "We have a PR team? Do they tell our fans to 'cry like anime fans on prom night'?"

"Well, **A** PR."

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Sinnoh…_

 _Platinum sat behind her desk, pouring herself another shot of Sinnoh's finest Vodka, "Wonderful."_

* * *

"I bet she's so glad we're back in business!" Red laughed, "Well… The main mission, as well as the plot device as to why we're on this mission in the first place, AKA the Dex information, is getting loaded up to the **Prime Dex** now, but it'll take the whole day to load up. Knew I should have used something other than Dial-up internet. Since we can't leave until it's finished, how 'bout we take a stroll around Kalos. Tonight, there is the famous **Kalos Got Talent** show, and yours truly will be a guest host! It's 8:30 tonight! Don't be late!"

Kate nodded, taking another swig from her ever-present flask of Tequila, "Alright. So, Red, I'm guessing you and Yellow have some things to work on, right? Well, I shan't bother you any longer. C'mon, Ed."

She walked over to her Zero Wing, hopping in. Red stopped her, "Wait. Won't the citizens be a little skittish at a military aircraft flying overhead?" Kate shrugged, "I'm sure they won't mind. Hey, can I keep this?" Z shook his head, "No. I think X said he expected all the weapons used in this mission to be returned to base. Also, this aircraft is pre-programmed to fly back to base at 9 PM today." "Already neutralised." Kate tossed a mess of cables and steel out of the aircraft, "I modded it into the stereo system. Now I have 3D surround sound."

Red turned to face me. I shrugged, "I have no idea how she did that."

Kate shot back a cocky grin, "Besides, I think the Kalosian Air force wouldn't miss one aircraft. X and Y sacrificed theirs, for Christ sakes! Just consider it as my payment for this mission. That, or would they rather pay me one million?"

Red sighed, "Fine…" The bounty hunter smiled, "Thank you!"

With that, the aircraft rocketed off into the skies. Go interjected, "Why didn't we stop her? That's a prototype aircraft!" I turned to him, "If you know a way to stop a bounty hunter with a fighter jet that can shoot **freaking lasers** , I'm all ears." "Good point."

I turned to Red, "So, you're heading into the city, right?"

Red shook his head, "No… I have someone I need to meet…"

 _"_ _Who?"_

* * *

"I'm sorry, we don't want any more junk mail."

Red shook his head, "I'm Red. The guy who-" "Say nothing else. You have saved both of my children." Mrs Lysandre smiled, opening the wooden door, "Fire Red… You are truly a hero."

Vent ran to the door, "Red?! What are you… Thank you so much for helping save mom yesterday." The boy in blue stepped aside, as Aile walked up, "Red… I've finally found my home again. Th…Thank you so much!"

She ran at Red, knocking him to the ground, "Red, Vent and I even got this new job at Sycamore's lab!" Red ruffled her hair, "You two truly remind me of Yellow and I… And you even overcame a hurdle even I haven't tried to leap yet…"

The scarlet trainer handed them his hat, "Here, have this." Vent picked it up, "Woah! Really? We can keep it?!" "Yep!" Red winked at Vent, " _I have a bigger one._ "

Vent hugged Red tearfully, "Thank you so much! Aile and I will miss you!" Red hugged him back, before getting up, "Well, duty calls. Keep an eye on the news for me, will ya? Bye… For now."

As he turned to leave, a tear rolled down his cheek, "Goodbye… **heroes**."

* * *

Sol turned to me, "Well, another mission complete for Trainer X, and I get to put 'saving the world' on my CV! Ed, what about that?"

I shrugged, watching the cars drive by. Kalos returned to practically normal after the battle, it appeared. Z remarked, "When I saved it from the **big black ground tentacles of doom** a few months back, I think they got used to the city being obliterated every other day."

"Hmm. Hey, Sol, what is Litten like?"

The Alolan scratched the cat's back, "It's very intelligent and… well, firey, and… Uh… Hmm…Honestly, I think I just picked him because he's a cat, and fire is inherently badass. Well, after all this, Luna and I will be flying back to Alola. Our next job is… Hmm…"

He pulled out a small clipboard, going down the list, "We're off to master **Z moves**! You see, we only know a basic version called the **burst dance** now, but when we're done, we can unleash a powerful attack that shall PWN all the asses!" "…Burst Dance?" "You called?"

We turned to face Z. Sol shook his head, "No, **_Z moves._** A powerful attack triggered by dancing." "Sounds cool." Z smirked, "Hey, why don't I give it a try?"

He sent out his Charizard. Sol stopped him, "Woah up, cowboy. Z moves are hard to do. It'll take months to master how to perform-" **"KIRBY DANCE!"**

Z started doing Kirby's victory dance (Complete with the music), and suddenly, Charizard glowed with a yellow light. He spit out a massive fireball that barrelled down the street, blowing up several cars in the way before exploding into a massive crater.

Z smiled, "So, little pink puffballs of doom **DO** solve everything!"

Sol stared, "…"

* * *

Kate's aircraft landed perfectly on the parking spot, as the pilot climbed out. She removed her helmet, dusting off her hands, placed a few dollars into a nearby parking meter, and headed into a store.

"Hello there!" the owner smiled.

Kate nodded, "Howdy do. Got any good clothes for a tactical-"

"Oh, I'm sorry. _You're not as stylish as you could possibly be!_ " she explained, looking Kate over.

The bane of the author's attempts to buy clothes in the city stared down the commando. Seriously, I beat (As Z) like, what, 7 gyms and saved the world (Yaysies for me!) from a massive Super Laser of **DOOM** wearing that red jacket, lime backpack, and red logo cap, and they **still** don't let me in?! This is an abomination! Dang capitalistic shopkeeper with her incessant grin and beret! **DARN YOU! DARN YOU! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAA-**

* * *

 _TRAINER_ED .EXE has crashed. Press any key to restart..._

* * *

A few seconds passed. Kate's eye twitched, "Ex…Excuse me?"

"Come back when you've done some more things in the city, okay?" Kate was now getting pushed out the door by the unusually strong woman.

Kate was seething underneath with rage, "I freaking saved the city yesterday wearing these clothes, and here you say they're not stylish enough?!" "Yes. For starters, they're covered in mud." "Where I come from, that's a sign of respect for those who had to crawl through it to defend our home and country!"

The doors slammed shut. Kate pulled out her gun, _"WHY YOU-"_

 **"** **Calm down!"**

Blue ran over, holding a shopping bag full of clothes, "Allow me." He approached the doors, opened them, and strolled in.

* * *

 _5 seconds later…_

Blue was literally kicked out of the store, the woman's foot protruding from the door for a second. He fell in a crumpled heap on the ground, clothing scattered around him, "Changed my mind. We're busting in."

Suddenly, the shopkeeper was launched out of the door, Smash Bros. style, slamming into a wall. A few seconds passed, as Kate then strolled in, "She wasn't worthy."

As Brock once rightly said; _"Payback is a bitch."_

I mean, uh, _"Revenge is a dish best served cold."_ 4Kids censored what he actually said.

...

 **DANG 4KIDS! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH!**

Okay, I'm good now.

(A.N. No offence to 4Kids, sorry!)

* * *

Red raised an eyebrow, "Hey… What'cha doing with my hat?"

The boy in blue smiled dumbly, "Hey, I've earned it!" "No you haven't, you only beat up the enemy to an inch of their life, then you cheapshot them with your Pikachu!" Red shot back, "Didn't you hear about my Kanto League victory? I had to fight each enemy with a dying Pikachu in Brock's Gym. You activated the sprinkler system to beat Brock." "Well, that's perfectly-" "Listen. I don't rely on Deus Ex Machina to win. Life isn't a kid's show."

 **Ash** ran at Red, **"YOU'RE ANNOYING! BATTLE TIME! 1 V 1 ME!"**

* * *

[BATTLE!]

 **"** **GO! PIKACHU!"**

Red sent out Pika, "Listen, I don't want to-" **"THUNDERSHOCK!"**

 _It wasn't very effective…_

The Kanto legend sighed, motioning to Ash's Pikachu, "Pika, do what we rehearsed." The Pikachu smiled, standing in place holding his arms skywards. Electricity rained down on him, bolt after bolt striking the electric mouse. Ash laughed, "Easy! I'll take you out, and then I'll-" " _You are the weakest link. Goodbye._ " the scarlet trainer replied, "Pika, do it."

The Pikachu suddenly started glowing with an insane amount of power. Each thunderbolt that struck him made his yellow electric aura grow larger and larger. Ash's Pikachu blinked. Normally, when the Level 100 plot device struck something, it at least flinched. But this one was just taking all the hits.

Ash dunked his fist, "Again, but with more effort, Pikachu! **THUNDERBOLT!** "

Red looked up, **"Finish him!"**

Pika ran at the opponent, screaming something that vaguely resembled in his high pitched voice, **"FALCON PANCHI!"** Ash barely had time to react, as his Pikachu suddenly was blasted in the gut by a small but extremely powerful electric fist. It coughed out a small amount of blood, before being sent flying into a lamp post, smashing through it, flying through a random café and flying out the other end, before finally hitting a car.

Ash blinked, "I was not expecting that. But hey, _it could be worse_ , right?"

 ** _Murphy's Law:_** _When an idiot such as Ash states things can't get any worse, they always will. THE PLOT DEMANDS IT DOES!_

 ** _"_** ** _Yep."_**

Another car slammed into the car, followed by a gas tanker, which then promptly exploded. To top it all off, a stray missile fell out of the skies, and slammed into the explosion.

 _ **[FATALITY!]**_

* * *

Red dusted off his hands, as Pika gave a polite bow to Ash, _"Arigatōgozaimashita!"_

As he walked off, Red patted Ash on the back, "Honestly, that missile wasn't mine."

Ash looked skywards, before his little mind came up with a logical question.

 _"_ _Where did that come from?"_

* * *

[Team Flare Secret Base, Luminose Badlands]

 _"_ _Commander Sigma! One of our missiles accidentally fired off when Bill was smoking too near to the ignition!" a distressed grunt wailed, "It hit the city by accident!"_

 _Sigma shrugged, "Oh, well. It's not like it hit anything too important, right?"_

 _The grunt shrugged, "Okay then. Back to work."_

* * *

Kate spun, admiring her new clothing. She didn't often care much about what she wore, but this time was different. She hadn't bought new clothing for two months now, and it was getting mundane.

She now wore a light-blue singlet, with her grey harness crossing over it. Red cargo shorts covered her thighs, her pistol's holster and her waist harness attached over it. Her black boots were now replaced by beige hiking boots, and a white slouch hat with a pink semicircle and elastic hem of the same colour graced her head, two sniper rounds tucked in it. Her tattered black backpack was now replaced by a yellow bum bag and hiking pack, as her assault rifle was clipped over her back. Finally, her dog tags hung around her neck, in between her flat...you know what I mean.

She turned to me, smiling, "So, does my butt look big in this?" I shrugged, "Well, it's certainly an improvement from what you were wearing to begin with." Kate nodded, "Excellent. Well, I'm buying this, then."

She dropped a few tied-up wads of cash onto the counter, "Mucho Gracias." I stopped her, "Um, this is Kalos, not South Unova." She shrugged, "I know. Well, where to now?"

* * *

Go stood outside her destroyed office, holding a small piece of that remained of the servers, "Man... good thing we switched to cloud computing ages ago. I don't even know why I was so worried about it, to be honest... Hmm..."

She tossed the server aside, pulling out her tablet. She tapped on her current location, creating a single gym upon the ruins, "Now, it shall be remembered for all time... or as long as Pokemon Go is still a thing."

It isn't. Well, it was when I first wrote this entry, but a whole year has passed! **CURSE MY PROCRASTINATINGNESS!**

* * *

[Lo Lo Ranch, Vaniville Town]

 _All was peaceful..._

 _A Gogoat grazed peacefully on the grass below it, as a Skidoo happily whinnied, gnawing on some hay. All was well with the finest ranch in Kalos..._

 _Suddenly, a loud warping sound broke the silence, as a silver saucer warped in overhead. A yellow beam shone down upon a single Skidoo, lifting it into the air..._

 **"** **OI! PUT 'ER DOWN! THAT'S EPONA, Y'KNOW!"**

Shotgun pellets blew the alien craft's tractor beam up, as Z ran in wearing his suspenders, **"ROMANI TO GRASSHOPPER, OPEN FIRE!"**

 **Epona** slammed her hoof on a small wooden switch, and a AA gun out the front of the ranch locked on and fired a single Anti-Air shell. Instantly, the aircraft was decimated, it's antimatter core went critical, and it vanished in a flash of light.

Z hugged his favourite Skidoo, "Epona! Thank goodness everything's okay! Who's a good girl? It's you! It's you!" Epona nuzzled Z's cheek, before turning to face X and Y with a confused whinny.

Y slowly closed her open mouth, while X waved, "So, this is your Skidoo?" Epona nodded, holding out a hoof. X shook it, chuckling, "Well, points for intelligence. How did you get her?"

Z smiled, "When I was younger, a cousin of mine in Orre... Well, she caught this little girl one day, and she didn't take too kindly to her trying to ride her. So she gave it to me, and... Well, we bonded. I named her Epona, because I was a really big Zelda fan back then. She also likes Zelda. If I remember, her favourites were Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mas-" "That's not important." X cut the champion/herder off, "So she's a video game nerd. Two questions; how does she play video games, and how fast is she?"

Z held up an N64 controller, and Epona picked it up with two vines, "Well, she did beat Ocarina of Time in under 1 hour-"

X facepalmed, "No, how actually fast? Better question; **Have you ever ridden her?** "

Epona's amber eyes narrowed, as she grunted. Z stared at X, "You must be crazy. I rode her everywhere on my journey. Is that a request for a race?" X nodded, looking more serious than ever.

Z turned to Epona, "Fine then!"

* * *

Both the Kalos League champions mounted their steeds, Z on Epona and X hopping onto Marisso's back, "Alright. Normal rules, the first one to faint loses." Z smiled, "You're on!"

Y walked on, holding a chequered flag, "Ready? GO!"

Z kicked Epona's sides, giving a yell, **"HYAH!"** X laughed, noting that Chesnaught was quickly overtaking her, "Too easy!"

The new generation Trainer smiled, "Epona has another hobby too; Epona, **Gotta go fast**." The Skidoo nodded, lowering her head and running on the spot. Her legs became a blur, as Z grabbed onto her back, "NOW!"

She curled up into a brown ball, spinning rapidly, before charging forwards. Y's hat blew off in the wind, "Woah! What was…"

X smirked, "Wow. Was he joking? He's slow-"

The Sonic Checkpoint sounded behind him. X turned around.

Epona dashed past, still spin dashing with her rider on her back, **"SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAA!"**

 ** _"_** ** _I FORGOT TO MENTION SHE WAS A SONIC FAN TOO!"_** Z cried, speeding away. X grunted, "Is that so? Marisso, Strength!"

The ground shook, as several hostile Digletts came out, irritated by the vibrations. Epona simply jumped into the air, bouncing off each one rapidly, before running up and out a random loop.

X blinked, "Fine! Chesnaught, Bullet Seed!"

Several seeds shot at Z, but a simple jump on each one sent them flying back to their sender. Epona finally jumped past the finish line, smashing a sign.

 **[Lo Lo Zone Complete! Grade A!]**

Z whooped, waving his finger, "You're too slow!"

* * *

Red adjusted his harness, before planting another boot onto the glass surface before him. His hand nearly slipped, but he clenched it tighter, his undying will going on, "30 metres…"

Yellow calmly flew up next to him, her Butterfree flapping slowly to keep her in the air, "Red, is this really necessary? I mean, seriously, you do know there's an elevator, right?"

Red looked down to the city below him, then back at his best friend and companion, "Elevators R 4 scrubs. Besides, you know how much I suck at 'Who's that Pokemon?' quizzes, remember?"

 _"_ _Who's that Pokemon?"_

 _Red pointed at the TV screen,_ _ **"IT'S A ONIX! 100%, AND I'LL EAT MY SHORTS IF IT ISN'T!"**_

 _"_ _It's JIGGLYPUFF!"_

 _Red spat out his milk,_ ** _"THE WHAT?!BUT THESE ARE MY FAVORITE SHORTS!"_** _Yellow walked in, rolling her eyes._

Our hero slammed another glove over an iron bolt, pulling himself up, "Nearly… There…" Yellow sighed, plucked Red off the side, and levitated him up to the top.

Now over the city, Red outstretched his arms, **"I'M DA KING OF DA WARLD!"** His companion smiled tiredly, landing next to him, "What a view… I feel glad we managed to save this land… Red, why are we here?"

Red turned to her, "Yellow, if I told you… _I would die on this journey…How would you feel?_ "

Yellow gasped, **"Red?!"**

* * *

Red nodded, dead serious, "When we fought... I didn't use guns... I had to go up close and personal to the enemy... B..but... I was scared, okay? My life flashed before my eyes like never before... I...I... **What if I die?** "

Tears rolled down his cheek, as he shuddered. Yesterday, many a laser came close to frying him to death, and Red... Red wasn't used to missions in which he could die. Like, actually **DIE**.

Yellow hugged Red, "No. Not now. You are a legend. **Legends never die.** If you die... My heart would break... And I would follow..." The leader of the Rainbow Four hugged her back, "A gun... makes killing too easy... I will not use one. I will not surrender... For both my cause... _and for you. And I shall never kill._ "

 _Yellow and Red looked at each other, before Red started._

 _"Even when I die, I'll protect you... Always."_

* * *

I walked up to Ash, who was wandering about the streets, "Heeeey~! Ash!" Ash beamed, "That's me! And you're Ed! The guy who saved Kalos!"

Kate rolled her eyes, "Y'know, I was just wondering... Why aren't we surrounded by fans now?"

Ash shrugged, "Well, I saw what you did, you two! I admit it; **_It rocked! You rock, guys!_** "

Kate gave him a disapproving look, _"Guys?"_

Ash shrugged, "Well, tonight is _Kalos Got Talent!_ And just after Xmas, too! Ah... The memories..."

He sighed, his eyes glazed over as he remembered all the Christmases he had spent with his companions over the years...

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Merry Xmas, Misty!"_** _Ash grinned, holding a present for her. Misty smiled, opening the box to find..._

A hand knitted jumper.

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Merry Xmas, May!"_** _Ash grinned, holding out a bigger box. May giggled, opening it..._

A hand knitted jumper.

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Merry Xmas, Dawn!"_** _Ash grinned, holding a yet even bigger box for her. Dawn laughed, slapping Ash on the back and opening it to find..._

A hand knitted jumper.

* * *

 _The couple sat upon the top of Prism Tower, as white crystals of snow fell around them. The full moon illuminated the scene, as dark clouds blew silently by. Serena shivered, huddling closer to Ash. Ash gave a little smile, "It's cold tonight... Isn't it? Here." He removed his jacket, placing it upon Serena. She turned to him, "Won't you get cold wearing nothing but your T-shirt?" Ash smiled to his best friend and companion, "Serena..._ _ **Being with you warms my heart.**_ _"_

 _Aww._

 _"_ _Actually..." Ash began, getting up and digging in his ever-present green bag, "Serena... I... I just wanna say..._ _ **Merry Xmas, Serena!**_ _" Serena squealed inwardly, as Ash produced a small black velvet box from his bag grinning. She kissed Ash, reached over and opened it..._

How Ash managed to squeeze a hand knitted jumper in there, we shall never know.

* * *

I stared, "Wait. Did you make 4 different jumpers, or-" Ash sighed, "I... didn't have much time in my journey."

20 years have passed, folks.

Ash smiled dumbly, "Yup! I love Christmas! It's the time of the year we get the gang together and celebrate around the tree! We sing carols, eat Delibird and give each other presents! Not to mention being with loved ones and family, that's the true meaning of Xmas!"

We stared at him, before Kate spoke, "Ash, I'm going to go out on a limb here and remind you you're going to **SCHOOL** soon. Not to mention all the hate mail you'll receive when the fans discover AshXSerena is dead."

A random boy in red with holding a flask of beer and a shotgun ran past, **_"IT WAS MEANT TO BE! DARN YOU, 4KIDS! DARN YOU! DDDDAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRNNNNN YYYYYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"_**

Ash kept smiling dumbly, "Don't worry! My PR team will handle that!"

* * *

The author wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, _"Suuuurrrreeeeee..."_

 **"** **...How do I draw a Lennie face?"**

* * *

Sol stretched, watching as Z, X and Y returned from Vaniville, "Hey guys! How'd it-" X shot him a glare that froze Sol solid, **"We will never speak of this day again. EVER."**

Y shrugged, "Well, X. I suppose we should get ready for tonight's show, right?" X perked up, "Oh! Good idea. But... What if the press spots me? They'll never leave me alone." Sol smiled, "Well, I have a plan..."

* * *

Kate sat in a random pub next to Go, "You drink?" Go nodded, slightly tipsy, "Yeah… Not very often, though, and I want to kick that habit soon." She drank some more of her drink. The mercenary sitting next to her smirked, "Then allow me to cure you instantly of your addiction. Right now. In this pub."

Go blinked, "…Eh? How?"

Kate pulled out two shot glasses and her flask, "You first."

* * *

Z and Ryu strolled along the snowing streets, "Ryu, I heard that there was a large missile that managed to land on this area of the city during the bombing raids." His Braixen made a confused sound. Z turned to him, "Well, I never said that we were going to visit there. I only stated what I heard."

He sat down on a nearby bench, pulling out two bottles of coke from his bag, "This seems like a good place to chill out. Later, let's go check up on Go." The firey fox sat down beside him silently, opening his bottle.

The Kalosian trainer sighed, "Sometimes... I wonder why I chose to fight. Was I truly correct?" Ryu placed a white hand on his shoulder, replying softly with a grunt.

Z sipped his soft drink, pulling out a single sandwich from his bag and eating it, "I know. For honour. For Kalos. And for my friends. But... What if things were... Different? What if I wasn't alone in my journey? What if someone stood by me? What if... _Go._ What if she was with me as I travelled?"

He turned to Ryu, before extending his arms towards the skies, "What if our world was only one of a million other variations of reality? There could be a reality where Red was a redneck, for example. Or another where Pokemon only existed. Or even one with only humans." He sighed, "Of course, you're probably thinking something different. But still... Makes you think, doesn't it?"

Ryu nodded, deep in thought.

"Perhaps a world where I failed to defeat Lysandre. What would've happened?" Z muttered, standing up, "Would I have survived? Would Kalos be what it is now? Maybe the world would've been purged itself... Is... Is that why I fight?"

 ** _"_** ** _You know."_**

X stood behind the partners, "I fought so many years ago... But now, I feel broken that I no longer enjoy battle." Z turned to him, brown hair blowing in the wind, "What do you mean?"

X stopped, handing Z his beam sabre, "Take this. I believe you were destined to use it."

 _"_ _I leave this land for you." X smiled, an action he rarely did these days, "Please... Z... Stay safe out there. You are... One of us now."_

Z shut his eyes, "...I am a warrior. You are a pacifist, X. That's what defines us." He looked at the older trainer, "I'll do as you say. When an enemy appears, I'll retire it!"

X chuckled, "I guess that's why you chose to fight; you enjoy battling." Z shrugged, "I guess I went with my gut a bit. Am I ready to carry the weight of combat with me while I travel?"

Xavier turned around and began to walk off, "...You'll find out soon enough. _In this endless fight... It's good to know that there are others who will stand for justice."_

The red champion sighed, **"...** _ **What am I fighting for?**_ **"**

* * *

 **Disclaimer. This fanfiction does not condone alcoholic drinks in any way. At all. Period.**

"Shot 1!" Kate said, pulling out her camera. Go was teetering in her chair slightly, "I...I beated you! Yayz...for me...!"

Kate blinked _, 'One shot glass of my favorite drink, and she's already acting like she's seeing fuzzy pickles all over the wall. Meanwhile, I drink 5 flask-fulls to get tipsy. My alcohol tolerance is incredible... Or the rest of the world is full of light-weights.'_

Go wobbled, getting up, "S...So watsch...doez I needz to doeaz... noaz?" Kate smirked to herself, before hitting record on her camcorder, _"Sing."_

 _And sing she did._

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go every day!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go every day!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go!"_**

Go drunkenly began singing, her voice being a horrible rape of the very song. Nature itself cringed, Darkrai screamed for sweet death, e.c.t., e.c.t. Kate lowered her earmuffs, steadily holding the camera and recording every part of the action.

 ** _"_** ** _When I wake up!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm grabbing my phone!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I wanna catch 'em all!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I wanna play Pokemon!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _All day long, all day long!"_**

Still in her drunken stupor, Go began doing the Numa Numa dance while singing. All the other patrons in the pub sobered up quite quickly, except for the guy in the corner wearing the red jacket and holding a shotgun.

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go every day!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go every day!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go!"_**

The patrons slowly edged away from the smashed Beta Tester, as the guy in the corner came out, pulled out an electric guitar and amp from nowhere and started playing the guitar solo segment of the song.

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go every day!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I play Pokemon Go!"_**

Go belted out the final lines to the song, sliding on the ground head-first into a table. The guy with the guitar pulled out a flask of alcohol from his belt, made the 'peace' sign, and sat back in his chair.

(A.N. Okay, that's enough of that.)

Kate switched off the camera, "See? That's what happens when you get drunk."

The guy in the corner smirked, _"Awesome."_

Kate leaned over to the girl's comatose body, "Are you okay?" The girl giggled uncontrollably, _"Can yuoureepeeat that? But lwwesslousd, pleased becauesa the drugs aareamkeinfg my lollypopefaieires eat abccion!"_ Kate slapped her unconscious, picked her up, and hauled her outside, "Later."

The bar was silent. The bartender was silent. The patrons were silent. Leaf was silent. Redneck was silent. Ash stared at Serena's chest.

* * *

(A.N. This segment was written Post-Redneck, in 2017. So expect things to be a little… Different from here on out. Less swearing, and me trying to fix up this wreck of a story. For one thing, I now know how to spell Yellow's last name properly!)

It happened all of a sudden!

 ** _"_** ** _AAH!"_**

I cried, sparks suddenly coming from my breastplate. The neon blue lines on my suit flickered one last time, before flashing off. Kate, who was by my side, turned to face me, "Ed? What's wrong?!"

I flicked a switch inside my suit, and the various armour plating popped off, clanking on the ground around me. I groaned, "Not good… My entire suit just lost power entirely! How could this happen?!" Kate looked over my helmet, letting out a small chuckle, "Oh, so that's what that flashing red battery indicator light was."

I looked over my removed iron helmet, noticing the red battery icon flashing repeatedly, "Ah… Silly me. I should've recharged it through all this…"

With a soft grumble, I picked up my backpack and loaded the various pieces of armour into it, "What a time for the batteries to die…" Kate raised an eyebrow, "What? That's exactly what you need, Ed."

I paused, putting my cap back on, "Eh?"

"Let's face it; you relied too much on it!" Kate exclaimed, "Rocket boots, Mega Arm, Synergy blaster, the lot! You kept using it so often, it became some sort of cheap plot device for you to use as a crutch. I bet you're actually quite weak without it."

I growled, "That's not true! I can still do things just as well without it!"

Kate watched for a few seconds, as I struggled to hoist my heavy bag onto my back. Without the motors to support my actions, I hated to admit it, I was actually really weak. A few minutes of watching me struggle, the South Orran helped me put it on.

"O…Okay… Maybe you're right…" I gasped, stumbling around slightly. She rolled her eyes, checking her watch.

 ** _"_** ** _WAH! 2030 HOURS ALREADY!"_** Kate exclaimed, and I gasped, **_"ED, WE'RE LATE!"_**

She pulled out a small remote attached to her waist, pressing a small button. Immediately, her aircraft came out from the skies over the city, landing before us. Kate tossed me in, before vaulting in herself, "No time for pleasantries, Ed! Strap yourself in!"

I had scarcely gotten my oxygen mask clamped on when we took off, speeding over Kalosian airspace towards the tower (Which, I should note, was hastily repaired with plywood in time for the show.).

* * *

 _Z adjusted his jacket, walking through the backstage area silently. Go came from a nearby dressing room, now wearing a scarlet dress._

 _The stagehands parted ways, allowing the couple to pass through. Z turned to Go, "…Are you ready? I mean, they know who I am, but you…" The programmer chuckled, "Hey, I saved the city, right? Think that gives me more than enough cred to do this."_

Suddenly, a window flew open, and Kate leapt in, **_"SURPRISE ENTRY!"_** The two newcomers jumped about a foot into the air, "YAGH! Kate! Don't do that!"

I stumbled in woozily, slumping on the ground, "…Must… stop… head… spin…"

My companion turned to the duo, "So, I heard the performance was starting now." Z nodded, "Yeah. I thought it took us a little long to get organised. But here we are. So, without further ado…"

 _They parted the curtain, walking on stage._

* * *

 _The crowd roared, as spotlights beamed down on us. Red, as promised, announced our entry, but the roaring crowds were so deafening, I couldn't make out any words._

 _Not that I needed to. I felt on top of the world._

 _I had learnt who Kate was, and, after that furious clash, I had defended the city. Well, sort of. But that was besides the point._

 _Suddenly, taking my mind off the situation, Z's voice rang out, as the crowds hushed._

 _I couldn't help but follow along…_

 ** _This love for you is always overflowing in my heart._**

 ** _There's no such thing as eternity._**

 ** _So I want you to stay with me for now._**

 _Go closed her eyes, as the band began to play the next part of the refrain._

 ** _I search, but can't find the words to tell you._**

 ** _The days of chasing you pass meaninglessly,_**

 ** _Will the future change if I find the courage?_**

 _Then, a brilliant light shone down upon Kate and I, so I hastily cast a gaze down upon the lyrics, displayed on a screen at the back of the room._

 ** _If it's not the days I dreamed of, I'd rather have this..._**

 ** _I can still feel your warmth on my fingertips,_**

 ** _I wrap it up in my palm._**

 _I cast a glance at the piano player, realizing it was Green. Knowing her, however, she probably sat off-stage, allowing her Ditto to do her work for her._

 ** _What is this flickering love within my heart?_**

 ** _Throw off your chains and smile._**

 ** _Where will your heart go now that it's free?_**

 ** _Tell me!_**

 _Z seemed in a bind about the song, 'Odd… Have I heard this before? Why… Is it so familiar?'_

 ** _I know your tender gaze isn't just for me_**

 ** _But my heart is racing..._**

 _X, in a far-off place, watched the event broadcast on a small screen. He smiled, polishing his helmet, before setting it inside a cupboard and closing it. Within his heart, he prayed he would never need to open it once again, before turning his attention back to the singer and brother in arms._

 ** _Now my heart realizes this love for you._**

 ** _There's no such thing as eternity._**

 ** _So I want you to stay with me a while._**

 _Tyra, filing her mission report, paused, listening to the broadcast on the radio, stopped to go over her letter of resignation once more, before scribbling out her faked name, the Façade she had employed for so long in battle, and signing her real name; '_ _ **Ranger Summer, born in Region: Fiore (Ferrum)'.**_

 ** _The me reflected in your eyes._**

 ** _I wish I could tell you everything now._**

 ** _Now I look up at the sky and reach out so this love will reach you._**

 _As Red picked up his Prime Dex from the Professor standing behind him, he whispered something silently. The look on the Hero's face grew dark, as he accepted a small pokeball, but this one was golden, with a Mega Stone activation switch._

 _Muted thanks were muttered, as Red pocketed the ball and turned back to face the stage, now reminded of his own dark duty… In the darkness, nobody caught the tear falling from his eye._

 ** _I can still feel your warmth on my fingertips._**

 ** _I wrap it up in my palm._**

 ** _This flickering love._**

 ** _…_**

 ** _This love for you is always overflowing in my heart._**

 ** _There's no such thing as eternity!_**

 ** _So I want you stay with me._**

 ** _A while…_**

 _ **For now…**_

* * *

 **[Saving…]**

 **[Game Saved!]**

* * *

 **{UPDATE FOUND: BETA Ver.}**

 **{UPDATING… DO NOT REMOVE CARTRIDGE FROM CONSOLE OR TURN OFF POWER…}**

 **{Progress: 100%}**

 **Changelog:**

 **-Removed Location Stamp.**

 **-Changed Pokemon Speech Translator.**

 **-Now can spell names properly (Hopefully)**

 **-Ed's personality changed to more reflect base material.**

 **-Depressive themes to be toned down.**

 **-Team to be trimmed down for better mobility between regions.**

 **-Combat Style changed slightly for certain characters.**

 **-Nerfs to Orran armour (Recharge Time feature installed)**

 **-Writing Style Changed to prevent TLDR.**

 **-I'm giving up trying to be current.**

 **-Removed MISSINGNO.**

 **{UPDATE COMPLETE. SAVING…}**

 **[GAME SAVED]**

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

"Thanks, Mr… Ama…Amarill… Amarillo? Weird name…" I waved to the man as I headed into Viridian Forest. Come to think of it, it's a little odd that someone lives this deep in the forest, isn't it? Eh… What was I talking about again?

Yup, it's me again, folks! **LEAF G.B. ANDERSON HERE FOR ANOTHA UPDATE ON MY ADVENTURE!**

Woah, I mean, it's only been a couple of days away from home, and I've already felt like it's been **MONTHS** since I last wrote an update for this! But fear not, my loyal followers, for my morale is as strong as ever!

Today, I'm going to catch me a Pikachu! They're Kawaii, and useful! As such, I plan to spend the next few days Pikachu hunting, and I swear, **I WON'T LEAVE UNTIL I HAVE ONE!**

Speaking of which…

A Pikachu darted out from the bushes, and I jumped, **_"FOUND ONE! BULBY, USE-AGH!"_**

I found myself sprawled on the ground, dirt up my nose and mouth. Standing up slowly, I spat dirt out and turned around, only to have my eyes meet Ben's unwelcome face.

"Taste nice?" he laughed with that stupid laugh of his, and No, I don't mean in a nice way.

I grumbled, "Yeah, real funny. Why can't you go piss off somebody other than me?" The asshole snorted, flicking my nose, "Didn't I tell you? Nobody is a bigger idiot than you, Leaf Buttwiener!"

"Buttwiener? Do you come up with these names on the spot, or are you dumber than I thought?" Ooh, that rhymed. Nice.

"Naw. Anyway, me and mah kickass team are here to kick yo ass! Come at me, girl! Scared you'd lose?" he cacked, as I stood up and brushed dirt off my clothes.

"Seeing as I have nothing to lose, I guess I'll fight!" I declared, sending out Bulby.

* * *

 ** _[BATTLE!]_**

 ** _VS BEN_**

 _Ben sent out_ _ **Charizard!**_

My Bulbasaur sized up her opponent, before panicking. I yelped, "No! Don't run away! Use **SolarBeam!** "

 _Leaf used_ _ **Pee in Pants!**_

 ** _"_** ** _I DID NOT!"_**

 _Yes you did!_

"Grr…"

 _Charizard used_ _ **FireBlast!**_

I jumped in the way of the flames, the resulting explosion sending me and my partner flying halfway through Viridian Forest, smashing through thick leaves, **"AAAAAAAAH!"**

Ben did a rude gesture, _**"SMELL YA LATER, ASSDERSON! HAHAHAHA-**_ Okay, I really need some new material."

 _ **[YOU REALLY SUCK!]**_

* * *

 _A mottled beam of light shone before me… dancing in the shadows of the woods and trees like a fried bacon afro cheese…._

I let out a groan, rubbing my head and shaking off the pain, "Owowowow… Wait, Where am I?!"

Around me was nothing but dense forest, brown bark and green leaves covered my view of the sky above. I slowly stood, lost in the woods.

Bulby hopped on my shoulder, as I practiced my grasp on the obvious, "I think we're lost…" Bulby growled, shifting a slight bit. A rustling in the bushes. I yelped, edging away slowly…

A massive Pokemon emerged, slowly plodding towards me. I let out bated breath, "Ah, a Snorlax. Phew. For a second, I thought I was in trouble." The Pokemon began waving a hand at me, and I couldn't help but laugh, "It's waving, too! Hello-"

 _The hand slammed into a tree, smashing it in half._

My face (And Bulby's) turned from one of laughter to shock to horror in mere seconds.

 ** _"_** ** _RUN AWAY! AAAAAH!"_** I screamed, and so began a wild chase through the woods. We hurdled trees and brush rapidly, as wooden shards of fallen trees flew by us. I wasn't used to running this fast, so naturally it was only a matter of time before I tripped and fell.

 ** _"_** ** _I'M GOING TO DIE!"_** I cried, standing up quickly again and continuing to run through the woods. Oh, and to add to my plight, there were **_LASERS!_** I have no idea how, but a red beam grazed my hat, so there **MUST** have been lasers!

 ** _"_** ** _WAAH! GOMENASAI!"_**

 ** _To be continued…_**

* * *

Ow... How long was I asleep?

 _Ominous Voice: 'Open your eyes...'_

Kate, stop that.

Kate: "Oh, fine. But it's been two years since you last wrote!"

I know. And I apologise. Looking back now, the last chapters I wrote were before my exams, and I get especially tense around those times. However, I believe I've matured as a writer, even just a tiny bit, by writing the Redneck Series, ironically enough.

Just a warning, this story may take a back seat for a while, while I work on my other works, such as **Flare Hunter Z** and all the **Redneck** sequels.

But I shall never forget this one.

This Chapter is a sort of merging point of my old and new writing styles, with the old being used for the beginning and the ending written in my new style. I've done more background research into Pokemon, shown by Tyra being revealed to be the protagonist of Pokemon Ranger (I think?).

As for the song used, it was Megaman Zero 4: Freesia. Some things never change.

Until Next Time, PokeFans!

 **ED OUT!**

* * *

 _Join the Resistance. A great darkness falls over Kalos...  
_ ** _Pokemon Flare Hunter Ƶ_**


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